{
  "id": 15166511,
  "title": "Sri Lanka suffers nationwide electricity blackout",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/sri-lanka-suffers-nationwide-electricity-blackout-15166511",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-17T09:17:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/10/17/sri-lanka-suffers-nationwide-electricity-blackout"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sri Lanka faced a nationwide electricity blackout on a Sunday in February 2025 after the national grid experienced a tripping fault, potentially due to excess solar power generation outpacing consumption, as reported by State-run Electricity Distribution Lanka (EDL). The outage left the country without grid power for over two hours, with officials providing no clear timeline for restoration. Energy minister Anura Karunathilaka indicated authorities aimed to restore supplies in stages. Karunathilaka appealed to rooftop solar system owners to disconnect their systems temporarily to aid the restoration efforts. The blackout occurred when solar power generation surpassed consumption on a bright, sunny Sunday. Restoration took more than six hours. Sri Lanka possesses an installed solar power capacity of slightly more than 3,000 megawatts, whereas daytime demand fluctuates between 2,000 and 2,500 megawatts. The government encourages solar usage through tax concessions, leading to imbalances that the utility provider faces challenges managing. The government seeks to augment solar power generation to nearly 4,400 megawatts within three years, marking a 388% rise from 2024.",
  "summary": "The country was without grid power for more than two hours, with no clear timeline for when electricity would be restored.",
  "key_points": [
    "Nationwide blackout hits Sri Lanka on February 2025",
    "Tripping fault caused by excess solar power generation",
    "Restoration took over six hours, government seeks to boost solar capacity"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Sri Lanka suffers nationwide electricity blackout",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/sri-lanka-suffers-nationwide-electricity-blackout-15171295",
        "published": "2026-10-17T09:17:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Sri Lanka suffers nationwide electricity blackout",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/sri-lanka-suffers-nationwide-electricity-blackout",
        "published": "2026-10-17T09:26:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Too much solar power? Sri Lanka suffers nationwide blackout as grid fails",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/too-much-solar-power-sri-lanka-suffers-nationwide-blackout-as-grid",
        "published": "2026-10-17T09:33:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Sri Lanka suffers nationwide electricity blackout",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/sri-lanka-suffers-nationwide-electricity-blackout-15171017",
        "published": "2026-10-17T09:54:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}