Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, or MCC, Nancy Lee joined Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and international partners recently in Monrovia to celebrate the start of power generation from the first turbine at the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant, expanding access to power for people, communities, and businesses in Liberia.
With U.S. Government investment in the rehabilitation of Mount Coffee through the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s $257 million compact with Liberia, and other partners supporting the rehabilitation, the facility now provides an additional 22 megawatts of clean, renewable and affordable power—doubling the amount of power the utility provides to Liberians. When all four turbines are commissioned by the end of 2017, the plant will quadruple the amount of power the utility provides to Liberians.
“We are proud to invest in the rehabilitation of Mount Coffee, which supports the Government of Liberia’s energy development agenda and puts the nation on a path to greater prosperity,” Millennium Challenge Corporation Deputy Chief Executive Officer Nancy Lee said. “Access to affordable and reliable electricity means students can study at night, hospitals can treat patients with better equipment, and businesses can grow and thrive.”
MCC’s investment in Mount Coffee will help bring back online the country’s largest source of power, providing much needed electricity and driving down the price of power. Over the next 20 years, MCC’s compact is expected to benefit 460,000 Liberians.
The compact also seeks to improve inadequate road infrastructure in Liberia through investments in nationwide road maintenance. A strong road system will help reduce the cost of doing business, boost local trade, and create stronger economic ties throughout the region.
“It has taken a lot of hard work to get to where we are today. It has truly been a team effort– with the Liberian government and with international partners,” said U.S. Ambassador to Liberia Christine Elder said. “With the rehabilitation of the Mount Coffee Hydroelectric Plant, Liberians are a giant step closer to reliable, renewable and affordable energy in their homes and businesses. More importantly, this represents the opportunity that Liberia’s next generation deserves.”
