This website presents the Rural Energy Strategy and Master Plan for Liberia (RESMP), which communicates the main elements of the Master Plan to key stakeholders. The RESMP for the period until 2030 aims to set clear targets, to identify least-cost projects and technologies, to propose concrete investments for funding and implementation, with appropriate institutional framework and capacity to increase energy access and renewable energies to the country’s rural areas and population – meaning all areas and population outside of greater Monrovia.
The Rural and Renewable Energy Agency Act mandates the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) to develop a Rural Energy Strategy and Master Plan for Liberia. The Master Plan and supporting study was developed under supervision of RREA. The Consultant, Gesto Energy, in collaboration with the Sustainable Engineering Lab of the Earth Institute at Columbia University performed the technical work between July 2015 and April 2016 under a contract with RREA funded by the European Development Fund (10th EDF). The work included consultation with stakeholders, namely more than 60 interviews to key decision makers across all 15 counties and a Validation Workshop held in Gbarnga on the 4th of February 2016 with more than 80 participants.
Methodology. Rural for the purpose of the Master Plan means all areas, settlements and inhabitants outside of Monrovia, either in the cities and towns or in small remote villages. Rural energy includes electricity, cooking gas and charcoal/wood for cooking. Energy consumption for transportation or large industries is not included in the scope of the Master Plan. The first comprehensive solar and hydro maps of Liberia were developed to, together with the comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) database developed in collaboration with the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), apply the least cost geo-spatial “Network Planner” methodology to Liberia. The RESMP was then formulated on the basis of well-defined project selection and prioritization criteria designed to ensure enhanced energy access with equity, sustainable development and optimal use of indigenous and renewable resources.
Impact. The RESMP represents Liberia’s intentions and plans towards the objectives of the National Energy Policy, as well as regional and global initiatives such as the ECOWAS Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Action Plan, Sustainable Energy for All and Sustainable Development Goals. The RESMP also represents the firm intention of the Government of Liberia to provide the necessary infrastructure to enable the country’s development and to contribute to the improvement of life for all Liberians. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2006 offered a guiding slogan for Liberia’s energy policy and strategy: “Small light today, big light tomorrow”. The National Energy Policy set the policies to go from small light to big light. The Master Plan now identifies the projects and the investments to align, join and optimize all efforts of national authorities, international partners, civil society and private sector, towards the goal of having Big Light across Liberia in the future.
Renewables Liberia is an independent platform for everybody interested in the renewable energy sector in Liberia: International Partners, Government, NGOs, Experts, Donors, Training Institutions or Businesses, and anyone else are invited to connect, cooperate and share information. To learn about different technologies, to follow the progress and impact of renewable energies, to analyze data on various maps and to stay informed on news and events.
Sections include:
-Stakeholders
-Maps
-RE Technologies
-RE Activities
-News
-Get involved section
Source: GESTO (http://liberiaruralenergy.org/); http://www.renewables-liberia.info/
