Liberia Electricity Corporation

The Liberia Electricity Corporation was established in 1973 as Liberia’s national power utility.^[2]

Liberia’s power infrastructure was devastated during the civil wars. According to the World Bank Group, the country’s pre-war generation capacity of about 180 megawatts and its associated distribution network were lost, leaving commercial electricity service effectively non-existent for many years.^[3]

In 2007, LEC resumed commercial operations in Monrovia on a limited basis with 2 MW of imported generation, 450 customers, and a small number of street lights, marking the first return of public power service since the war.^[3]

In April 2010, the International Finance Corporation helped structure and tender a five-year management contract for LEC, and Manitoba Hydro International of Canada took over operations on 1 July 2010. The arrangement was backed by international donors including the European Union, Norway, USAID, and the World Bank.^[3]

LEC is the principal operator of Liberia’s public electricity system and manages generation, transmission, distribution, metering, and customer service.^[1]

A major component of Liberia’s electricity supply is the Mount Coffee Hydropower Project. Rehabilitation of the plant increased production from 0 to 88 megawatts, making it the country’s largest electricity asset.^[1]

The Millennium Challenge Corporation has reported that LEC continues to face financial and operational challenges, including debt, network losses, theft, and delays in customer connections.^[1]

Liberia’s electricity system is composed of domestic generation, regional electricity imports, and a developing transmission and distribution network. Total installed electricity capacity in Liberia has been estimated at approximately 190–200 megawatts in recent years, with about 194 megawatts reported in 2023, though available generation varies due to seasonal and operational constraints.^[4][5]

Electricity generation in Liberia is dominated by hydropower and thermal plants. The Mount Coffee Hydropower Project, located on the Saint Paul River, has an installed capacity of approximately 88 megawatts and is the country’s largest source of grid-connected electricity.^[6]

Thermal generation is primarily provided by heavy fuel oil plants, including the Bushrod Island facility in Monrovia, with an estimated capacity of approximately 38 megawatts.^[7]

Combined domestic generation capacity is estimated at approximately 126 megawatts.^[6]

Hydropower output varies seasonally, with reduced generation during the dry season due to lower river flow.^[8]

Liberia supplements domestic generation through electricity imports via the Côte d’Ivoire–Liberia–Sierra Leone–Guinea (CLSG) interconnection, a regional transmission network forming part of the West African Power Pool.

Imports through the CLSG system are particularly important during periods of reduced hydropower output.^[9]

However, reliance on imported electricity introduces financial risks. In 2024, Côte d’Ivoire warned that electricity exports to Liberia could be suspended due to approximately US$19.6 million in unpaid debt owed by LEC.^[10]

Liberia’s transmission and distribution network remains limited and concentrated primarily in the Greater Monrovia area, with ongoing expansion supported by international partners.

The CLSG interconnection includes high-voltage transmission infrastructure and substations that extend the national grid across multiple counties.^[9]

Transmission and distribution losses have historically been high, though they declined from approximately 48 percent in 2021 to about 27 percent by 2024.^[6]

Liberia’s electricity system is constrained by generation variability, infrastructure limitations, and financial challenges. Hydropower output declines significantly during the dry season, reducing available generation capacity.^[11]

Although installed capacity may exceed peak demand in nominal terms, effective supply is reduced by transmission losses and operational inefficiencies.^[6]

Electricity demand remains suppressed due to limited access and affordability constraints.^[12]

In February 2025, the European Union, EU member states, the European Investment Bank, the African Development Bank, and the Government of Liberia commissioned the Liberia Energy Efficiency and Access Project (LEEAP), aimed at expanding electricity access and improving system performance.^[13]

LEC has been involved in donor-supported and private sector-led electricity expansion initiatives, including the Liberia Accelerated Electricity Expansion Project – Additional Financing (LACEEP-AF).^[14]

In 2026, the Government of Liberia announced a dual-track strategy to expand generation capacity, including a 100 MW heavy fuel oil plant and a 300 MW combined-cycle gas project in Buchanan valued at approximately US$500 million.^[15]

The 100 MW plant is intended as a short-term solution, while the 300 MW project is designed to provide long-term energy security and reduce reliance on imported electricity.^[15]

LEC faces persistent challenges related to non-technical losses, particularly electricity theft and non-payment of bills. Power theft has been identified as a major constraint on the corporation’s financial sustainability, with reports indicating that it accounted for significant revenue losses and undermined the utility’s ability to expand service and maintain operations.^[16][17]

In 2019, LEC reported losing approximately 62% of its revenue to electricity theft, equivalent to millions of U.S. dollars per month.^[18] Subsequent reports and sector analyses have continued to highlight electricity theft as one of the foremost issues affecting the corporation’s financial viability.^[19]

In addition to theft, non-payment of electricity bills by public institutions has contributed to revenue shortfalls. According to World Bank assessments, unpaid government electricity bills remain a continuing challenge, contributing to overall non-technical losses despite recent improvements in loss reduction and revenue collection.^[20]

Efforts to address these issues have included the enforcement of anti-power theft laws, deployment of prepaid and smart meters, and campaigns to regularize illegal connections. These measures have contributed to a reduction in non-technical losses in recent years, though both electricity theft and payment compliance remain ongoing challenges for the utility.^[21]