Warns Of Rising Costs
Monrovia, Liberia – The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) has unveiled a comprehensive tariff proposal supported by a thorough analysis of growing customer demand, rising operating expenses, and the need for long-term energy sustainability. The Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC), industry partners, and consumer representatives were present at a high-level stakeholder engagement on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, when the disclosure was made.
Deputy Managing Director for Administration Eric Fredericks, speaking on behalf of LEC’s senior management team, told stakeholders that the company’s Managing Director and Deputy Managing Director for Technical Services were in Basel obtaining equipment and feasibility support to improve Liberia’s power industry.
He noted that in order to ensure that the company recovers the minimal cost necessary to maintain electricity flow while upholding its responsibility as a public utility, LEC is looking for open communication.
He stated, “We are here to hear what needs to be improved, and we will explain why certain charges are necessary.”
George Tawale, a member of the Tariff Committee, described how Liberia’s energy demand is rising due to new infrastructure, developing towns, and the government’s “Mission 300” plan to provide access nationally. He revealed that LEC’s current client base of 355,000 is expected to grow to 620,000 by 2028; he added that this expansion calls for additional connections, infrastructure, and supply sources.
Tawale claims the nation is still far short of its energy requirements, even with a peak load of 119 megawatts in 2024. Demand is predicted to increase to 230 megawatts by 2028, nearly tripling current averages.
Also talking about the growing costs demand for tariff adjustment, the head of Compliance and Regulations Henry Sambolah, described the “revenue requirement” the entire cost LEC requires to sustain operations. He reported that by the end of the tariff cycle, operational costs are expected to have increased from US$99 million in 2025 to US$217 million.
According to Sambolah, 78% of total expenses are related to generation costs alone. These include transmission fees, payments to independent power producers, fuel for thermal plants, and imported electricity from Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire. He emphasized that LEC is proposing cost-recovery pricing, taking into account its public service commitment and full government ownership, whereas regulators support cost-reflective tariffs. Sambolah said, “We are not a profit-driven company, but we must recover the minimum cost needed to keep the lights on.”
Graphs presented during the presentation showed a growing disparity between supply and demand, which one LEC aims to solve through new initiatives like increasing cross-border power imports and the recently inked renewable energy collaboration with SCATEC.
LEC executives expressed hope that Liberia may achieve “energy sovereignty” by 2028 with the appropriate investments and tariff modifications. The presentation ended with a request for collaboration between consumers and stakeholders, particularly in the fight against commercial power theft, which has been identified as one of the company’s largest financial drains.
Reported by: Prince Saah
