Renewable Energy Targets Drive Solar ExpansionThe planned installations form part of Sri Lanka's broader push to transition away from fossil fuels and dramatically increase the share of renewable energy in its national power grid. Hambantota, with its wide stretches of open land and high levels of solar irradiance, has been identified as a prime location for large-scale photovoltaic development. Scrubland Clearance Threatens Peacock PopulationsHowever, the very landscapes earmarked for solar infrastructure are home to significant populations of the Indian peafowl — Sri Lanka's iconic and widely revered bird. The dry scrubland of Hambantota provides essential foraging, nesting, and shelter habitat for these birds, and large-scale clearance to make way for solar panels could meaningfully reduce the territory available to them. Suggestions include prioritising already-degraded or previously developed land, as well as rooftop and floating solar installations.