October 14, 2026
In a process aimed at alleviating the crisis of severe power outages, the Board of Directors of the Electricité du Liban approved in principle the restarting of the Zouk and Jiyeh plants, and preparations began to return the units that prove their safety and readiness, after completing technical inspections and checks in coordination with the manufacturer “MAN – Everllence.” Although this approval does not mean an immediate return to work, it opens the door to that within clear technical and legal conditions, pending the transfer of the step into quick executive measures.
This development came as a result of the direct intervention of President Joseph Aoun, who pushed for the restarting of the two plants in light of the continued suffering of the Lebanese as a result of the darkness and the heavy financial burdens of private generator bills. Website information reported that presidential pressure was exerted to complete this file, coinciding with the announcement by the Corporation’s Board of Directors that it was facing attempts to obstruct efforts to increase production.
On the other hand, these developments raised a political paradox represented by the absence of any serious pressure from the “Lebanese Forces” party to push Energy Minister Joe Al-Saddi, who is affiliated with it, towards leading this path and completing the file that lies at the core of his ministerial duties. Instead of holding the minister accountable for the performance of his ministry, the party’s positions took the lead in defending his retreat and threatening resignation, which turned the crisis into a material for exchanging responsibilities and justifying obstruction at the expense of the citizen, who alone bears the burden of the crisis.
While the initial approval remains subject to the practical test for completing the examinations and procedures, the developments in the file have shown that solutions require a bold decision and diligent field follow-up, not just retiring and threatening to resign, so that President Joseph Aoun remains the advanced party in addressing a vital file that the Ministry of Energy was supposed to manage from the beginning.
