๐๐จ๐ง๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐, ๐๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ โ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐: The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) expresses its deep
gratitude for the invaluable partnership with the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). Liberia Electricity
Corporation (LEC) appreciates the expertise of the EEI delegation shared with our staff, LEC Board of
Directors, and other stakeholders in Liberia electricity sector, including the Bureau of State Enterprise
(BSE), Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC), Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), Rural
and Rural Renewable Energy Agency (RREA), National Standards Authority (NSA), and seven TVET
Institutions in Monrovia.
Over the past ten days, a comprehensive knowledge transfer took place through a series of technical
and non-technical workshops, along with public stakeholder engagements. These events were hosted
at the Ministry of Mines and Energy and included a public townhall meeting with community leaders
at the EJS Ministerial Complex. The townhall meeting featured global perspectives on electrifying
nations, with speakers from Australia, Barbados, Benin, Portugal, Sweden, and USA. The delegation
was led by Dr. Lawrence Jones, EEIโs Senior Vice President of International Programs. Dr. Jones, a
distinguished energy expert and thought leader, with over twenty-five years of experience in the
energy industry, holding a MSc, Licentiate, and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the
prestigious Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.
While in Liberia, Dr. Jones and his team of experts toured the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant and
held technical discussions with the entire LEC staff. Furthermore, the EEI delegation also participated
in a press briefing at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism, where they provided
a high-level assessment of the current state of Liberia's electricity sector compared to other countries.
Additionally, Dr. Jones, along with the LEC Executive Director for Planning, Engineering, and Major
Connections, embarked on a field trip to assess the ongoing GAP community electrification works. An
initiative, fully funded by LEC, aims to connect communities and homes that were initially left out
during the initial electrification designs and implementation.
The EEI delegation also included Marco Montefiori, President and Founder of INSEAD Energy Club and
author of "Energy Citizenship," and Mr. David Owens, CEO and Founder of DaVision & Strategies. These
distinguished global experts provided comparative insights on the performance, strategic initiatives,
and future prospects of LEC. The delegation commended the current management for the significant
strides and achievements despite challenges such as power theft, huge energy demand and limited
capital investment to bolster Liberia's electricity sector. They emphasized that electricity
independence hinges on the development of necessary human and physical infrastructures, a goal that
Liberia is progressing towards.
Dr. Jones noted that some important requisites for Liberia, or any country, to achieve 100%
electrification will include: an operating environment with stable policies and regulations, certain and
enforceable legal frameworks, and the ability for electric utilities to attract the necessary capital to
invest in power system infrastructure, customer service and care, resource diversity, and continuous
workforce development through innovation. A recurring theme emphasized by Dr. Jones and other
experts was the need to reduce and ultimately eliminate power theft. Ensuring that all customers pay
their bills is crucial for the utility to maintain financial strength, which benefits both customers and
the entire country. Members of the EEI delegation visited the LEC Anti-Power Theft Task Force in
Paynesville and applauded its Co-Chair, Madam Mary T. Broh, for the success of the innovative
approach to mitigating power theft. With a goal to harnessing Liberia human potential by inspiring the
future leaders in the energy sector.
"The exchange of ideas on best practices with the EEI delegation was invaluable in advancing Liberiaโs
electrification and energy sustainability goals," said Mr. Monie Captan, CEO of Liberia Electricity
Corporation. Mr. Captan further highlighted that โthe collaboration between LEC and EEI underscores
the commitment to capacity building and knowledge sharing, crucial for the continuous improvement
of services and the development of Liberiaโs energy sector.
LEC is honored by the visit of these distinguished global experts and takes pride in its membership in
the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), which comprises of all US Investor-Owned Utilities and over 70
international electric companies with operations in 90 countries and continues to grow.
๐ฆ๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ:
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐, (๐๐๐)