Kruah Thompson — Residents of Buchanan have welcomed plans to restore public electricity to the city after nearly four decades without reliable power, describing the initiative as a major milestone for Grand Bassa County.
The optimism was evident during a public hearing organized by the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC) on the Liberia Electricity Corporation's (LEC) application to amend its electricity distribution license to include Buchanan City and surrounding communities.
The hearing brought together residents, officials of LEC and LERC, representatives of government ministries and agencies, civil society organizations, student groups and local authorities.
Among those attending were LERC Board Chairman Claude J. Katta, Commissioners Cllr. Ela-Edward Toomey II and Amara M. Kamara, Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) Executive Director Armah Zolu Jallah, Ministry of Mines and Energy representative Oliver S. Gbegbe, Buchanan Port Manager Jonathan Kaipay and Ministry of Information representative Nat Bayjay.
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The consultation gave residents an opportunity to learn about LEC's expansion plans, ask questions and raise concerns about electricity access, customer connections and meter availability.
One resident, identified only as Joe, welcomed the project and asked whether households would receive free electricity meters similar to those previously distributed under a European Union-supported program.
In response, LEC officials said the electrification program would be implemented in three phases to ensure a systematic and sustainable rollout.
The public hearing comes as work continues to restore electricity to Buchanan, which has lacked reliable public power for nearly 36 years.
Efforts to reconnect the city began in 2021 under the Côte d'Ivoire-Liberia-Sierra Leone-Guinea (CLSG) regional power project.
In 2024, the Government of Liberia and the European Union launched the €42 million Light Up the Southeast (LUSE) Electrification Project, which includes the construction of a 33-kilovolt distribution network in Buchanan, Greenville and Barclayville.
In April 2025, LEC announced plans with Genser Energy to develop a proposed 270-megawatt power plant in Buchanan, while additional rural electrification works were carried out under the CLSG Rural Electrification Project.
By December 2025, contractors had begun installing concrete utility poles and streetlights across the city. On April 29-30, 2026, LEC officially launched a major electrification campaign that included electricity connections for schools, public institutions, businesses and surrounding communities.
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The project is expected to connect more than 12,000 homes and businesses in Buchanan before the end of 2026. Substations, distribution lines, utility poles and streetlights have already been installed in several parts of the city.
According to LEC officials, the electrification program is being financed through investments under the CLSG Rural Electrification Project, the European Union-funded LUSE Project and other infrastructure initiatives.
During the hearing, residents were also briefed on the requirements for obtaining electricity service and were assured that issues raised during the consultation would be addressed.
Speaking on behalf of residents, Saydee Wamekah Jr. said the people of Buchanan have waited decades for electricity and are eager to see the project completed.
"We have suffered for 37 years without electricity. We want to understand how this process will work because everyone cannot be connected at once. We are happy that electricity is finally coming, but we hope the process moves as quickly as possible," he said.
Many residents described the restoration of electricity as a transformative development that will stimulate economic activity, improve healthcare and education services, and accelerate development in Grand Bassa County.
LEC officials said the ongoing electrification works are expected to restore public electricity to Buchanan and connect more than 12,000 customers by the end of 2026.
