By Kruah Thompson
MONROVIA, June 19, 2026 — The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) has begun reducing electricity imports from Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea following the restoration of full generating capacity at the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant and the addition of a new solar power facility.
The decision follows the restoration of a damaged turbine at Mount Coffee, enabling the hydropower plant to return to its full 88-megawatt capacity after years of operating below its potential.
Speaking in Monrovia on Thursday, Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah said the restored turbine and the commissioning of a 20-megawatt solar farm have increased Liberia’s domestic electricity generation by 42 megawatts.
“As I said the other day, one of the damaged turbines has been restored, and the country is now receiving the full 88 megawatts from the hydropower plant. In addition, there is the extra 20 megawatts from the solar farm that was recently dedicated by the President,” Piah said.
According to Piah, the additional generation capacity has enabled Liberia to reduce the volume of electricity it purchases through the Côte d’Ivoire-Guinea-Liberia-Sierra Leone (CLSG) regional power interconnection.
“What has been done has put the country in a position to cut down on the purchase of energy from the CLSG system,” he said. “Whatever quantity of electricity that was being procured from Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea has been reduced because the country has secured an additional 42 megawatts—20 megawatts from the solar farm and 22 megawatts from the restored turbine.”
Liberia has relied on imported electricity from neighboring countries since joining the CLSG regional power-sharing arrangement, which was established to improve electricity access, strengthen energy security, and promote regional cooperation in the power sector.
The CLSG interconnection project was created under a treaty signed in March 2012 by Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. The initiative operates within the framework of the West African Power Pool and the Mano River Union.
In 2024, Liberia imported approximately 35 megawatts of electricity from Côte d’Ivoire through both the older 33-kilovolt cross-border line and the CLSG 225-kilovolt interconnection. Imports later increased to about 50 megawatts during 2024 and 2025.
According to available estimates, Liberia’s annual electricity import bill ranged between US$20 million and US$31 million, depending on regional wholesale electricity prices.
In December 2025, LEC announced plans to reduce dependence on imported electricity by restoring a turbine that had remained out of service for four years and expanding domestic generation capacity.
The utility subsequently completed repairs to the turbine and commissioned a 20-megawatt solar farm, significantly increasing local power production.
Officials say the reduction in electricity imports is expected to lower the country’s energy costs while strengthening the reliability of Liberia’s domestic power supply.
