Lanka Electricity Company
The Lanka Electricity Company Limited, was one of two on-grid electricity companies in Sri Lanka; the other was the Ceylon Electricity Board. Established as a private limited liability company registered under the Companies Act No. 17 of 1982, It was merged with the newly formed Electricity Distribution Lanka Limited, as per the provisions in the amendment to the Sri Lanka Electricity Act of 2025
its shareholders are the Ceylon Electricity Board, the Urban Development Authority (UDA), the Treasury and four local government authorities. It is regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka. As of 2019, LECO sold of power to 588,879 consumers, and made revenues of.
History
LECO was established in 1983. President J. R. Jayewardene selected Engineer H.S. Subasinghe to lead the fledgling company.The electricity distribution networks, managed by local government authorities, had suffered from years of neglect and insufficient investments. The consequences were evident — frequent breakdowns, overloaded grids, and arduous processes for securing electricity connections for new residences.
LECO took a multi-faceted approach to deal with these challenges. Old electricity lines were dismantled and new lines were designed, utilising insulated wires for safety and reliability. An innovative transition to concrete utility poles ensured that no external support structures were needed. This move not only expedited the installation process but also effectively optimised space utilisation, a critical consideration in the densely populated areas LECO operated in.
Branches
LECO has 7 geographical branches:- Kotte
- Nugegoda
- Moratuwa
- Kalutara
- Kelaniya
- Negombo
- Galle