On Friday, June 11, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) joined the Totota Electric Cooperative (TEC) to celebrate its newly acquired permit to deliver electricity in Liberia. The TEC is the first micro-utility to achieve this status. They serve as a potential model for other off-grid locations in the country and demonstrate how a small private sector entity can provide electrical services in compliance with Liberian regulations.
The TEC was established in 2018 with a US$700,000 grant from USAID to design, construct, and operate a solar mini-grid with a backup generator. This grid now can supply electricity to residents and businesses in Totota, Bong County, Liberia. The USAID implementer, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), provided oversight and capacity-building to TEC as the cooperative developed. Now fully independent and profitable, TEC delivers electricity to 350 customers, including households, businesses, and public institutions, all of whom operate on prepaid meters. They hope to reach 400 residents by the end of the year.
John Pasch, USAID Liberia’s Economic Growth Office Director spoke at the event, along with Bong County Senator Prince Moye, Representative Moima Briggs Mansah, Totota Mayor Clinton Brown, and other dignitaries. Mr. Pasch emphasized that the “signature on this license today represents a model for the future and a signal for a better tomorrow for Liberia.”
USAID’s Economic Growth Office works to create jobs, improve household incomes, and strengthen resilience to economic shocks through private sector-led investment. Productive and sustainable use of Liberia’s rich natural resources present the greatest opportunities for economic development and will be the focus of upcoming project.
