MONROVIA – Energy sector stakeholders from various government institutions have begun a three-day review exercise of the 2022 National Energy Policy Draft to ensure it meets global trends and current realities.
Participants include the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA), Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC), and the Rural Renewable Energy Agency (RREA).
Deputy Minister for Administration, Eudora Blay-Pritchard, speaking on behalf of Mines and Energy Minister Wilmot Paye, emphasized the importance of validating the 2022 Energy Policy Draft with contributions from sector entities to transition it into a full-scale National Energy Policy. She highlighted the critical alignment of all government development programs with the availability of quality, reliable, and affordable energy.
The Mines and Energy Ministry, as the sector lead under the Electricity Law of 2015, is mandated to review Liberia’s energy policy every five years. A sector working group has been advancing recommendations needed to reform the energy sector.
Deputy Minister for Energy, Charles Umehai, stressed the need for building a resilient energy sector for prosperity and development. He encouraged the participating institutions to exchange ideas and insights to reshape Liberia’s energy policy to reflect current community needs and ensure a sustainable energy future.
During the workshop, sectoral entities presented overviews and highlighted gaps in the Energy Policy Draft, emphasizing the importance of considering open-minded recommendations for policy validation. They argued against solely adhering to pre-existing establishment policies and regulations without considering necessary reforms.
LPRC Managing Director, Amos Tweh, expressed his administration’s commitment to the policy reform process, noting that a unified policy document would clearly define roles, responsibilities, and scope of operation for each sector entity to promote efficiency and prevent overlapping functions.
The workshop is focusing on several priority areas including energy sufficiency, efficiency, expansion, and innovative ways of energy generation, transmission, and distribution to drive national development through economic growth.
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