18-Month To Stabilize Electricity Supply?

The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), has clarified ongoing power supply interruptions, pushing against widespread “misinformation and speculative public commentaries surrounding the recent outages.”

‎In a press statement issued Monday, January 26, LEC said it has never claimed electricity challenges were fully resolved, “nor that risks tied to seasonal changes or external power supply constraints had been eliminated.”

 According to the corporation, while electricity availability has improved markedly over the past nine months, representing the longest period of relative stability in decades, the sector remains structurally constrained due to heavy reliance on imported power.

‎LEC also rejected claims that the recent improvement in electricity supply was simply the result of the rainy season.

Liberia experiences two seasons rainy and dry, each lasting roughly six months, and rainfall alone, the corporation said, cannot explain nine consecutive months of improved power stability.

‎The statement explained that the rainy season merely complemented broader operational improvements.

During this period, the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant generated approximately 57 megawatts (MW), a level it continues to produce, particularly at night after reservoir recovery.

However, this output remains insufficient to meet national demand. When combined with thermal generation of about 12 MW, the total domestic generation stands at roughly 69 MW.

‎National electricity demand, LEC disclosed, has now risen to about 130 MW up from 94 MW when the current management took office leaving a supply deficit of approximately 61 MW.

This gap is currently bridged through electricity imports from Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea.

‎According to LEC, the relative stability experienced over the past nine months resulted from improved operational discipline, enhanced system coordination, better dispatch planning, and sustained regional imports, with hydropower serving a supportive rather than dominant role.

‎‎On the current outages, the Corporation attributed the disruptions to scheduled maintenance works on power generation facilities in La Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea.

These maintenance activities, LEC noted, have temporarily reduced the amount of exportable electricity available to the regional market, and have affected all importing countries, not Liberia alone.

‎LEC said such maintenance is standard practice worldwide, and is necessary to ensure the long-term safety and reliability of power plants. It rejected assertions that the outages signal mismanagement, broken promises, or a regression to past inefficiencies.

‎The Corporation further acknowledged long-standing structural challenges within the power sector, particularly the historic lack of investment in domestic generation capacity.

It noted that developing new power plants is a complex process requiring at least 18 months for planning, financing, construction, and commissioning.

‎‎Ironically, LEC said, the recent period of stability, has boosted public and investor confidence, leading to increased electricity consumption by households, businesses, and institutions further widening the supply-demand gap amid limited domestic generation.

‎‎While conceding that electricity challenges are far from being solved, LEC stated that the government remains committed to an energy sovereignty agenda focused on diversifying supply sources, expanding domestic generation through Independent Power Producers, strengthening the national grid, improving regional coordination, and maintaining transparent engagement with the public.

‎The Corporation acknowledged public concern over power interruptions, particularly those affecting hospitals, safety services, and critical infrastructure, describing such concerns as “legitimate.”

However, it cautioned against alarmist narratives that misrepresent temporary, externally driven supply constraints as systemic failure.

‎LEC reaffirmed its commitment to honest communication, responsible operations, and sustained efforts to improve electricity access, reliability, and resilience nationwide.

‎Source: Sam Middlevic Karto /Insights Liberia