By Amos Harris
The Government of Liberia has conducted its first quarterly review of the Mission-300 Energy Compact, reporting progress in expanding electricity access while acknowledging that major policy, financing, and implementation challenges continue to slow the country’s ambitious energy reform agenda. The high-level Steering Committee meeting, held at the Ministry of Mines and Energy in Monrovia, brought together representatives from the Compact Delivery and Monitoring Unit (CDMU), the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC), the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA), and other technical institutions responsible for implementing the compact.
Presiding over the meeting, Mines and Energy Minister R. Matenkay Tingban described the Steering Committee as the government’s principal oversight body for the Mission-300 initiative. He stated that the meeting marked the first formal assessment of Liberia’s implementation efforts and called for stronger coordination among government institutions to address persistent electricity challenges. The Compact Delivery and Monitoring Unit, headed by Program Manager Kelvin K. Grugbaye, presented its 2025 implementation report outlining Liberia’s commitments under the energy compact. According to the report, Liberia has undertaken 24 policy and program actions aimed at strengthening the energy sector through renewable energy expansion, increased electricity access, the promotion of clean cooking, regional power integration, and greater private sector investment.
Officials reported that approximately half of the planned activities are currently under implementation, while only eight percent have been fully completed, suggesting that a significant portion of the reform agenda remains unfinished despite the reported progress. However, the report highlighted several key achievements, including renewable energy generation reaching 86 percent, which surpasses the national target. Additionally, about 80 percent of the annual objective of connecting 100,000 new households to electricity was achieved during 2025. The Liberia Electricity Corporation also reported improvements in revenue collection, intensified efforts to combat electricity theft, and new measures aimed at improving financial transparency within the utility. Furthermore, authorities disclosed that Liberia is expected to commission its first Independent Power Producer (IPP) projects in 2026, a move expected to increase private investment in electricity generation and reduce the country’s dependence on government-funded power infrastructure.
Despite these gains, the Steering Committee acknowledged that critical obstacles continue to undermine implementation. Members cited delays in approving the Revised National Energy Policy, lengthy procurement procedures, pending financing agreements for electricity generation and rural electrification projects, and limited technical support from Mission-300 development partners. The committee warned that unless these bottlenecks are addressed quickly, Liberia could struggle to meet the objectives of the Energy Compact and achieve its long-term electricity expansion targets.
The meeting also reviewed the country’s clean cooking agenda. Although development partners, including the World Bank and EnDev GIZ, have supported the development of strategic plans, officials admitted that the adoption of cleaner cooking technologies remains slow across the country. Stakeholders urged greater government commitment to achieving the national target of providing clean cooking solutions to 200,000 households under the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, warning that continued reliance on traditional biomass fuels poses serious environmental, health, and economic risks.
According to figures presented during the meeting, Liberia’s continued dependence on traditional biomass is estimated to cost the economy approximately US$3.1 billion annually—about 64 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product—with women and children suffering the greatest impact from indoor air pollution and fuel collection. At the close of the meeting, the Steering Committee adopted a series of resolutions and reaffirmed its commitment to holding quarterly review sessions to monitor implementation, address emerging challenges, and accelerate delivery of the Mission-300 Energy Compact. Deputy Minister for Energy Charles Umehai closed by thanking participating institutions for their collaboration and pledged the Ministry’s continued oversight in expanding electricity access throughout Liberia.
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