Jumblat Criticizes Govt. Failure to Address Electricity File
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumbalt criticized on Wednesday the government’s failure to help the country's ailing electricity sector, one day after the cabinet highlighted the crisis and decided to hold a special ministerial session to address the issue.
“The file of Turkish power generating ships strongly resurfaces because the coalition of the central authority does not want to take the opinion of the Tenders Department,” said Jumblat in a tweet.
He was referring to a plan to rent power generating ships that was rejected by several government components, citing cost and voicing concern over suspected corruption.
Jumblat added that Lebanon would have had more than one new power plant by now “if a book of terms was placed a year ago.”
At the cabinet meeting in Baabda, President Michel Aoun “unexpectedly” raised the file of electricity and urged the ministers to find a solution, saying “I want to provide the Lebanese with electricity, and I don't care how you get it done.”
Chronic power shortages since the end of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war have been a main source of grievance among Lebanese who have had to put up with daily cuts.
28 March 2018, 19:47
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Electricity 24/7 is easily achieved by first enacting net-metering to require dual counters at homes with PV so no batteries are needed (consumers pay difference between generated and used power, EDL benefits as solar power peaks when demand is highest for AC use); second, provide research money on renewable to all major universities (team up with start-ups); third enact 20% subsidy for renewable energy so for every Watt subsidized 4 Watts are generated by private sector quadrupling supply; fourth, create fast-charging network for EV cars with smart chips so EV batteries are part of the grid optimizing storage and peak usage. Since EV cars will soon dominate car market and useful EV battery life is 8 years with 50% residual power, integrating recycled EV batteries into the grid will insure 24/7 efficient power supply and in 20 years Lebanon power for homes, businesses and cars can be 100% from renewable. This creates thousands of technical jobs and reduce pollution and imported oil.
