The head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, confirmed that the electricity crisis in Lebanon is the result of the policies adopted over the past years, noting that the Lebanese are still getting “the electricity that we inherited from the era of Gebran Bassil,” given that the production plants and transmission and distribution networks have not changed, while the difference is limited to the current management method. Geagea explained in an interview with Al-Masirah magazine that addressing the electricity crisis does not happen through administrative decisions or decrees, but rather requires addressing the reality of a sector that is based on huge infrastructure of factories and distribution networks. He pointed out that the sector has drained no less than $30 billion from the state treasury over the past years, without this being reflected in improving the electrical supply, considering that the solution begins with involving the private sector in electricity production and management of this sector. Geagea pointed out that opening the door to investment to private companies represents “the beginning of the end of the electricity crisis,” noting that the Ministry of Energy has completed the legal and regulatory requirements to launch this path, considering that there is no way to save the sector except through this step. Geagea criticized the criticism directed at the performance of the current Minister of Energy, considering that it ignores the reality of the sector. He said that the current feeding hours are not much different from what they were before, but the difference is that the state no longer bears the financial burdens that it was paying in the past. He also touched on previous offers to build electricity plants according to the BOT system, considering that the financial crisis that Lebanon is going through has made the state lose the ability to provide the required sovereign guarantees to investors. Geagea warned of the repercussions of public administrations’ delay in paying their dues to the Electricité du Liban Corporation, noting that the arrears threaten the corporation’s ability to secure its operational needs and purchase fuel. He stressed that the Ministry of Energy is working to revive the sector despite the difficulties, stressing that partnership with the private sector represents “the only door to salvation” for the electricity crisis in Lebanon.