Libya: Power outages...an old crisis recurring

Tripoli, July 1, 2026 (LANA) – Libyan cities, especially the capital Tripoli, have been grappling for several days with a recurring energy crisis: power outages, a phenomenon known as load shedding. These outages, which had seen some improvement over the past two years, have worsened this summer, offering a glimmer of hope after years of hardship.

With the onset of summer, rising temperatures, and increased humidity, these hopes and optimism have faded. All promises to improve power generation capacity have been shattered, and power cuts in some cities and regions have exceeded eight hours daily. This is despite the significant funds invested and promises made to resolve the issue, leading to widespread frustration and exacerbating the suffering of citizens, particularly the sick, the elderly, and children.

Concurrently with the increased power outages in some cities and regions, complaints have grown louder regarding the General Electricity Company's unfair distribution of the load between cities and regions. This unfair distribution is intended to prevent the collapse of the national grid, leading to growing resentment towards the company in these areas.

Despite the substantial financial support it has received over the years, the General Electricity Company attributes its inability to resolve the energy crisis, which worsens annually with rising and falling temperatures, to several factors. These include the dilapidated state of the power grid, significant increases in consumption, and occasional acts of sabotage, looting, and theft of electrical wires at power stations and transmission lines. Gas and fuel shortages also contribute to the crisis, as do humidity and rough seas.

Faced with the anger and frustration expressed by citizens in the west, east, and south of the country regarding the extended power outages, which, in addition to causing daily hardship for citizens, result in financial losses for private businesses, including shops, bakeries, workshops, farms, and gas stations, as well as inadequate water supply, the company resorts to awareness campaigns to reduce electricity consumption, which has exceeded 7,000 megawatts, according to the company's own figures. A number of residents of Tripoli and other areas expressed their anger in a survey conducted by the Libyan News Agency (LANA) regarding the renewed electricity crisis this summer and the lack of a solution. The increased power outages have dashed hopes for overcoming this recurring crisis and finding a solution in the near future.

Residents are asking when the electricity crisis will end. The power cuts continue for long hours and intensify over time, especially with rising and falling temperatures, exacerbating the suffering and frustration of citizens. They expressed their disappointment with the electricity company's inability to find a solution to the power outages and end their suffering, despite the vast sums of money poured into the company over the years. Furthermore, citizens pay their electricity bills, which has increased the company's revenue, yet the question remains unanswered.

...(LANA)...