Liberia Energy Research Hub

CONCEPT NOTE

THE LIBERIA ENERGY RESEARCH HUB (LERH) 

Primary Applicant: Bong County Technical College (BCTC) 

Consortium Partner: Direct Energy Giving (DEG)

Funding Agency: African Energy Futures (AEF) 

Total Proposed Budget: $1,000,000 

Project Duration: 5 Years (2026–2031)

Application Contact: Jimmy Nyanwapolu, jnyanwapolu@direct-energy.org

1. Executive Summary 

The Liberia Energy Research Hub (LERH) aims to bridge the critical gap between energy policy and local demand-side realities. The proposed location is on campus of Bong County Technical College (BCTC) in Gbarnga, Bong County in central Liberia. The Hub will serve as a national center of excellence for demand-side energy systems research, professional teaching, and a vibrant community of practice. The intent is to leverage the technical local presence of and strategic nationwide central location of BCTC, while Direct Energy Giving mobilises local community participation, energy actors engagement, and international philanthropic/technical assistance.  The LERH will empower Liberian researchers to lead evidence-based energy planning driven by contextual  energy research, data analysis, sector training and active community of practice to support Liberia’s  ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID 2025) and the goal of 75% electricity access by 2030. 

2. Contextual Analysis 

2.1 Socio-Economic Context 

Liberia remains a fragile but recovering economy, with a projected nominal GDP of $5.18 billion and  growth rate  of 5.4% (IMF Liberia 2026). However, energy poverty remains a major hurdle, with roughly 33%  access to reliable electricity and rural access significantly low. Current energy costs are among the highest in West Africa, driven by a reliance on expensive diesel imports and seasonal variations in hydroelectric output from the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant. 

2.2 Political Context 

The political landscape  is defined by renewed international confidence, exemplified by Liberia’s recent requalification for a second Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact. The Government of Liberia (GoL) has prioritized energy through Executive Orders (137, 138) and the National Energy Compact (Mission 300). Despite this, there is a lack of localized data to inform urban, suburban and "last-mile" electrification and demand-side management. This, LERH aims to address through robust energy policy research & dialogues, and reform engagements of sector policies and regulatory agencies. 

3. The Consortium

Bong County Technical College (BCTC) is situated in Gbarnga, and a central academic pillar offering academic degrees in  Civil & Mining Engineering, Information Technology, Nursing and Agriculture. Given its location in Bong County, a feasible  transit point for national grid expansion makes it the ideal host for this  hub that would drive rural and peri-urban energy dynamics to enhance national energy systems access. Direct Energy Giving (DEG) is a USA based clean energy  and energy efficiency focused nonprofit with a mission to support African energy access programs. DEG will bring expertise in business development, community engagement and technical assistance & resource mobilization to support the Hub project implementation and sustainable operations by end of project funding. 

4. Research Focus

4.1 Demand-Side Energy Systems: LERH will move beyond the traditional focus on generation to analyze how energy is consumed, paid for, and managed at the household, commercial and industrial levels. 

Key research themes will include: 

4.2 1 Affordability & Subsidy Modeling: Evaluating the impact of Demand-Side Subsidies (DSS) on energy adoption in low-income Liberian households. 

4.2.2 Energy Efficiency & Cooking Strategies: Aligning with the 2026 National Cooking Strategy to increase access to clean fuels. 

4.2.3 Grid-Interactive Off-Grid Systems: Researching how decentralized mini-grids in counties like Bong, Nimba and Lofa can integrate regionally with the expanding national Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) grid. 

4.3.4 Socio-Political Economy of Energy: Analyzing local governance structures and the impact of power theft on utility viability. 

5. Teaching & Capacity Building 

To train the "next generation" as required by AEF, LERH aims to  implement the following energy sector capacity building initiatives: 

5.1 Energy Systems Fellowship 

Funding for 10 annual fellowships for BCTC graduates and regional researchers to conduct model-based energy analysis. 

5.2 Curriculum Integration: Introducing a specialized "Demand-Side Management" track and applied energy research programs within BCTC’s existing Engineering and IT departments to establish a proposed Bong Energy and Renewable Institute (BERI). 

5.3 Technical Certifications: Practical training for local technicians on solar PV maintenance and smart metering, addressing the skills gap in the Liberian energy sector. 

6. Community of Practice (CoP) 

LERH will convene a Multi-Disciplinary Energy CoP to ensure research informed  energy policy dialogues and reforms. 

6.1 Annual Liberia Energy Forum: Hosted at BCTC to bring together policy drivers from the Ministry of Mines & Energy(MME), Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC), the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA), LEC, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and private mini-grid developers. 

6.2 Knowledge Translation Hub: A digital platform to share open-access data with the West African Power Pool (WAPP) and national ministries. 

6.3 Stakeholder Engagement: Regular policy briefs provided to the House Committee on Ways, Means, and Finance to influence national energy budgeting. 

7. Proposed institutional Framework and coordination.

As a two pronged energy hub with research and workforce/institutional development objectives, the proposed Liberia Energy Research Hub (LERH) will support an energy sector certificate training in research backed energy systems and renewables education through establishment of the Bong Energy and Renewable Institute (BERI).

The institutional governance of the LERH and BERI is designed as a dual-track system that integrates high-level strategic research with formal technical education. Both entities are to be hosted by Bong County Technical College (BCTC) but operate under a joint consortium framework with Direct Energy Giving. 

7.1 Proposed Governance and Management Structures

The governance is structured to align with BCTC’s recent elevation to university status and the national Regulatory Framework for Higher Education. 

7.1.1 Executive Oversight: The BCTC Board of Trustees and the President’s Office provide ultimate fiduciary oversight.

7.1.2 The LERH-BERI Joint Steering Committee (JSC): The primary decision-making body for the $1M African Energy Futures (AEF) grant. It includes:

1. BCTC President (Chair)

2. Direct Energy Giving Representative (Co-Chair)

3. BCTC Vice President for Research and Academic Affairs

4. Representatives from the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA). 

7.2  LERH: Research Hub Management

LERH functions as a strategic research and policy unit, focused on a Community of Practice and demand-side systems data.

7.2.1 Director of Research (LERH): Reports to the BCTC VP for Research. Responsible for the Fellowship program and donor reporting.

7.2.2 Technical Advisory Board (TAB): A non-executive body of experts from the Liberia energy sector agencies, development partners, and private sector representative. They ensure research topics (e.g., smart metering, PUE) meet national needs.

7.2.3 Project Management Unit (PMU): A dedicated financial team to manage the $1M AEF budget, ensuring compliance with Liberian Public Procurement standards.

7.3. BERI: Academic Institute Management

BERI functions as a teaching and certification department, intended to be integrated into the formal BCTC academic structure.

7.3.1 Director of BERI: Responsible for research backed energy sector training and renewable energy vocational certifications. The Director manages the energy tracks training program. 

7.3.2 Description of training:  Syllabus is being developed for summary inclusion in full proposal. 

8.0 Consortium Structure and Governance

The partnership between Bong County Technical College and Direct Energy Giving will be  managed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that defines specific roles: 

Governance Layer 

Primary Stakeholder

  Key Responsibility

Fiduciary/Legal

BCTC Board of Trustees

Accreditation and legal standing under the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE).

Technical/Strategic

Direct Energy Giving

Strategic planning and technical assistance

Operational

J-S-C (Joint Steering)

Approving annual work plans and $1M budget reallocations for years 1–5.

This structure ensures that while LERH drives the data and policy influence required by the AEF funder, BERI institutionalizes that knowledge into a permanent, accredited teaching department that remains at BCTC after the grant period expires in 2031.

9.0. Implementation Plan & Budget Overview 

Period

Milestone

Estimated Budget 

 Year 1 

a. Establishment of Hub Office at BCTC

b. Recruitment of Researchers 

$100,000 

$150,000

Year 2

a. Launch of Baseline Demand-Side Surveys & Fellowship Program 

b. Bong Energy and Renewable Institute (BERI). Program launch

$200,000 

$175,000

Year 3

Deployment of Pilot Demand-Side Management Models 

$200,000

Year 4

Expansion of CoP Activities & National Policy Workshops 

$100,000 

Year 5

Final Impact Assessment & Sustainability Handover Plan 

$75,000 

Total budget : $1, 000,000

Sustainability: By Year 5, LERH will seek to transition to a fee-for-service model (consultancy for GoL and donors) and maintain an endowment through DEG continued philanthropic resource mobilization and technical assistance support.