Monrovia — The Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC), through its Board of Commissioners headed by Dr. Lawrence D. Sekajipo, has provided a 25-year license to Energicity Liberia for the generation, distribution, and sale of electricity without discrimination to customers within Gbarpolu County.
The LERC in compliance with Section 5.3, application of license for the 2015 electricity law of Liberia, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, issued Energicity Liberia Corp, an active minigrid developer and operator with 71 minigrids in operation across Sierra Leone and Benin.
Presenting the license to Energicity Liberia, Dr. Sekajipo, chairman, the LERC Board of Commissioners, said: "By the 2015 Electricity Law of Liberia, this License is issued to the Energicity Liberia, a business registered under the laws of the Republic of Liberia, hereinafter referred to as the "License Holder" for the Generation, Distribution and Sale of Electricity without discrimination to customers within Gbarpolu County (Totoquolle, Henry Town, Farwanta, Gbana, Zuo, Yagaryah, Takpoima, Smith Camp and Wesua) by the Terms and Conditions of the License," Dr. Sekajipo said.
According to Dr. Sekajipo, the License is valid for 25 years commencing on July 17, 2024, up to and including the 16th day of July 2049.
In response, Neema Kezilahabi, Regional Director of Construction for Energicity Liberia, indicated that the license will enable the company to add 10 sites in Gbarpolu County to the portfolio, ranging in size from 26.88 kW in Totokolle to 750 kW for Bopolu City, the county capital.
In remarks, Energicity Liberia Regional Director, Madam Kezilahabi, revealed that the company is planning to commission its first projects this year and complete all 10 sites in the first half of 2026, adding that the total license will enable over 1MW of initial solar development and approximately $4 million in investment which the company has already started building.
"We are particularly excited because, with this license, we will be entering our third country, Liberia. More than that, this milestone represents connecting up to 40,000 Liberians to grid-scale electricity for the first time," she said.
Energicity Liberia's Regional Director explained that with electricity, families, businesses, and communities will have access to new opportunities such as lighting up schools so that children can learn after dark, powering healthcare facilities, internet access, and creating job opportunities for the communities, ensuring that projects benefit the local economy and provide skill.
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She noted that the company appreciates the support of several other agencies, 24mm f/1.89 1/33s ISO4207 including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Rural Renewable Energy Agency.
"Lastly, and most importantly for this occasion, we are grateful for the unflagging support of the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission. We look forward to our continued partnership," Madam Kezilahabi concluded.
Also speaking, the LERC Acting Managing Director, Abu B. Sanso, said the action of the Commission to have issued the license is based on an application from Energicity Liberia to generate and distribute electricity in Gbarpolu County.
"The action of the Commission is a testimony of LERC's ability to not only attract private sector investment in the electricity sector by the creation of an enabling regulatory environment but also to fulfill the government goal of access to reliable and safe electricity to citizens and residents nationwide," LERC Acting Managing Director Abu B. Sanso added.
