For the fifth year, Lebanon has been struggling in an economic and financial crisis because of the escalation of the political dispute between Lebanese parties in power. The dispute has become a systemic crisis that prevents the development of solutions. Meanwhile, the Israeli assaults on Lebanon made the internal situation more complicated and pushed back desirable solutions under the vacuum in the republic’s presidency and caretaker government, prolonging crisis times.
Lebanon’s most dangerous issue is not the scale of widespread crises but the failure of those in charge to pay attention to the time factor required to address these crises. Four years elapsed without any solution to mitigate the crisis effects and define ways to solve its causes. Solutions need time to prepare plans and programs and more time for their execution. Every delay in dealing with these crises increases complexity and makes solutions more difficult and expensive.
Lebanon faces more than one crisis; it is, in fact, many crises, mainly because the economic and financial turmoil summarizes many turmoil, and each one is a problem. Crises require new and innovative approaches, and solutions must be comprehensive and simultaneous because they are related and influence each other. Many actions must be taken to stop the collapse of state institutions and the fading of their influence. The state’s restoration of its role in regulating different activities is the gateway to any solution and guarantees its success.
In this context, the implementation of the National Plan for the Sustainable Development of the Electricity Sector in Lebanon, approved in 2022, faces successive thefts of high-voltage lines, to which the transmission and distribution grid is exposed in many Lebanese regions. This plan allowed the Électricité Du Liban (EDL) to restore electricity production and achieve some financial surpluses.
While EDL looks forward to investing in financial surpluses to enhance its production capabilities and increase serving hours, successive thefts demand new transmission and distribution lines to reconnect the grid and provide sustainable power distribution. These thefts cause EDL losses due to the high prices of copper and other maintenance requirements. Note that provider services companies do maintenance works for EDL, which makes these works more expensive.
The challenge lies in depleting the EDL and depriving it of financial surpluses, which require it to pay part of its obligations. The institution paid companies maintaining and operating the electricity generation plants in Deir Ammar and Al-Zahrani in addition to the dues of the companies providing the service.
Transmission and distribution line theft successive acts also prevent EDL from implementing a defined distribution program that allows consumers to know the time to profit from electrical power produced by EDL. The institution is trying to prevent acts of theft by keeping distribution timing unannounced to deter thieves from trying to trespass on the public network. This theft causes the interruption of power supply to the area whose lines are being stolen, which causes instability in the distribution program and reduces its fairness.
Transmission and distribution line theft are also challenges to implementing the Distributed Renewable Energy Production Law (318/2023). This Law allows private investors to establish renewable energy production stations at 10 MW for PV and 15 MW for wind power. These stations transmit energy to consumers using the EDL grid, which receives a “transit fee” from renewable energy producers. The Lebanese parliament ratified this new Law on 14 December 2023 to stimulate renewable energy production for solar and wind power.
The instability of the public electricity grid due to the theft of transmission and distribution lines prevents the activation of the “Net Census” system approved by Law 318/2023 mentioned above, which allows families producing renewable energy to sell their surplus products to EDL. Theft of transmission and distribution lines also prevents renewable energy producers from using the public electricity grid to sell their energy production to consumers in various Lebanese regions.
It should be noted that thefts are not the only obstacle encountered in implementing the Distributed Renewable Energy Production Law. Still, the deferment in appointing members of the Energy Sector Regulatory Commission mandated by the Law (462/2002) is because the Commission has the authority to approve the conditions for executing the new Law (318/2023).
Note that the Electricity Sector Regulatory Law (462/2002) has approved the establishment of the Regulatory Commission for about 22 years. Still, political disputes counteract their members’ designation, which suspends its missions in the Ministry of Energy and Water.
The fourth article of the Distributed Renewable Energy Production Law specifies seven missions by the Energy Sector Regulatory Commission; the most important one is to determine eligible types of electrical systems and their technical specifications allowed to connect to the grid. Also, the maximum power allowed to be input to the grid is the responsibility of the Commission, and the system of the Net Census is set.
The Commission also has the right to determine the price ceiling for kilowatt-hours, transit fees, and payment methods. These suspended missions defer this Law until the concerned parties agree to appoint the Commission members.
It is clear from all the facts mentioned above the importance of regular work of the state and its agencies under applicable Laws as a condition to solve country crises. The state’s regular functioning begins with adhering officials to the legal provisions and working according to their requirements. Then, there will not be a commission member without being appointed and a plan without being implemented from A to Z.
The decline in the role of the state of Law, the reluctance of its institutions to carry out their tasks, and the fading of its influence have paved the way for violators to continue with their violations, not caring about the consequences of their actions and the damage they may cause to the nation and its people.
