Liberia is taking a major regulatory step toward expanding electricity access in rural communities after energy-sector stakeholders validated far-reaching reforms to the country’s mini-grid and micro-utility rules, a move expected to unlock new private investment and speed up project delivery. The reforms were endorsed at the end of a two-day validation workshop organized by the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC) in partnership with the Rural Renewable Energy Agency (RREA), with support from R-DARES and INENSUS.
The revised regulations target long-standing bureaucratic hurdles that have slowed private participation in rural electrification.
Speaking at the close of the workshop, Cllr. Minnie Paegar-Kallon, Director for Legal, Licensing and Public Affairs at LERC, said the review was overdue and essential for rebuilding confidence in Liberia’s energy sector.
“These regulations have been in place for more than five years. Legally and practically, it was time for a comprehensive review. Strong, predictable regulations are what investors look at first. With these changes, we expect increased participation in Liberia’s energy space,” Paegar-Kallon added. Speaking about key regulatory reforms, she narrated that the validated changes affect three major regulatory instruments governing mini-grid development:
“Under the Micro-Utility Licensing Regulations, permit and license durations have been extended from five to seven years. The amendments also introduce compensation mechanisms for mini-grid developers when the national grid expands into areas already served by privately built systems,” she said.
According to her, the revised Mini-Grid Code simplifies project approval by removing the requirement for multiple sequential permits. Once developers secure a construction permit from RREA, they can apply simultaneously for a provisional license from LERC, an adjustment aimed at lowering risk and improving access to financing.
For Tariff Regulations, she explained that LERC reviewed several proposals but reaffirmed its exclusive statutory authority over tariff approvals, adding that the commission rejected recommendations that would have allowed development partners or subsidizing institutions to play a direct role in tariff-setting. Madam Paegar-Kallon said that energy officials say the reforms align Liberia more closely with regional peers such as Benin, Sierra Leone, Chad, Guinea, and the Central African Republic, all participants in the World Bank-supported Regional DARES program.
Advancing national electrification goals, Steven Payma, Business Development Specialist at the Rural Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) described the outcome of the workshop as a significant boost to Liberia’s National Electrification Plan and the continental “Mission 300” initiative, which aims to achieve universal electricity access by 2030. “These amendments remove key legal and regulatory barriers that have discouraged private sector participation. With a more predictable and less risky framework, we can accelerate the delivery of affordable and reliable electricity, particularly in rural Liberia,” he said.
Payma disclosed that the regional electrification initiative is expected to take effect once the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning signs a memorandum of understanding with the World Bank, saying implementation is projected to begin between now and the second quarter of 2026.
