{
  "id": 14446967,
  "title": "Lebanon's power failure: Diesel generators, $300-a-month bills - and a corrupt system milking the profits",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/lebanons-power-failure-diesel-generators-300-a-month-bills-and-a-14446967",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-14T12:11:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/14/wake-up-and-smell-the-diesel-multibillion-dollar-generators-industry-fuelling-lebanons-corruption/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Lebanon now relies on diesel-powered generators for around half of its electricity, leaving the crisis-ridden nation vulnerable to financial, environmental and operational risks, according to forthcoming report data. This alarming figure is the result of a long-standing crisis that has seen unregulated private generators line the pockets of officials and generator owners. The electricity sector has long been considered one of the most corrupt parts of Lebanon's sectarian government system since 1990, when the civil war ended. Those benefiting from the flawed system have allegedly resisted efforts to fix the sector, allowing them to continue profiting from its failures. Private generators now account for 50% of Lebanon's electricity supply, while the state utility, Electricite du Liban (EDL), provides only 31%. EDL's share is set to decrease further due to the ongoing crisis. The Lebanese population is forced to bear the financial burden, with generator bills skyrocketing due to expensive diesel imports driven by rising global oil prices. The median generator bill in August was reported to be $310, with a typical generator bill in one neighborhood reaching $750. The country's dependence on generators has increased since the severe economic crisis began in 2019, which led to a nearly 80% drop in EDL's power production between 2018 and 2023. This has caused generators to supply electricity to those who can afford it, with Beirut's 9,300 generators running non-stop and emitting polluting exhaust. The situation has forced many businesses, like a shawarma restaurant in Beirut, to rely almost entirely on private generators, leading to skyrocketing monthly bills that often exceed $300 and are comparable to the entire minimum wage in Lebanon. The long-term failure of state institutions to implement energy reforms and invest in cheaper, cleaner energy has left Lebanon dependent on generators, which have become a lucrative industry worth around $3 billion, with $1 billion going to generator owners and $2 billion to diesel importers.",
  "summary": "Lebanon now relies on diesel-powered generators for about half of its electricity supply, further exposing the crisis-hit country to financial, environmental and operational risks, according to data for an upcoming report. Behind that alarming figure lies a deep-rooted crisis decades in the making. Interviews with officials, as well as government statistics, studies and testimonies gathered by…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Lebanon's power failure: Diesel generators, $300-a-month bills - and a corrupt system milking the profits",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/lebanons-power-failure-diesel-generators-300-a-month-bills-and-a",
        "published": "2026-10-14T12:11:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}