{
  "id": 1954436,
  "title": "US considering support for Lebanon’s electricity sector, sources say",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/us-considering-support-for-lebanons-electricity-sector-sources-say-1954436",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-19T14:44:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/08/19/us-considering-support-for-lebanons-electricity-sector-sources-say/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The United States is reportedly considering providing assistance to Lebanon's struggling electricity sector, sources close to the situation have told The National. This proposal emerged during Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's recent visit to the White House, where US officials expressed interest in studying the country's electricity file and determining potential areas for support.\n\nEnergy Secretary Chris Wright personally took charge of reviewing the file, a move seen as significant given the entrenched interests benefiting from Lebanon's dysfunctional power infrastructure, including private generator operators and Hezbollah-linked entities. President Aoun's visit to Washington in July marked the first such trip by a Lebanese president to the White House since 2009.\n\nWhile the White House has not officially confirmed or denied involvement in the review, a spokesperson stated that the US is actively engaging with various sectors across Lebanon to support reforms aimed at achieving a free Lebanon unencumbered by Hezbollah's influence and corruption. The administration is also exploring opportunities to revive an Iraqi oil transit route through Lebanon, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.\n\nBeyond electricity, the US is engaged with Lebanon on other energy-related matters, including discussions on the potential revival of the Kirkuk-to-Mediterranean pipeline system. This initiative, which has been under study, seeks to alleviate Lebanon's energy crisis by bypassing the Strait of Hormuz and offering a more stable energy supply.\n\nLebanon's electricity crisis is rooted in decades of underinvestment, aging infrastructure, high network losses, and a state-run power sector grappling with insufficient revenue to cover generation costs. Recent reforms aimed at restructuring Electricite du Liban (EDL), the country's electricity utility, and enhancing governance are viewed as positive steps, but implementation and financing remain crucial.\n\nThe US's potential involvement in Lebanon's electricity sector is viewed positively by energy analysts, who note that past assistance, such as a 2021 offer from the US to help with electricity provision, never materialized due to political reasons and shifting priorities. However, the new administration's interest appears more concrete, contingent on broader reforms such as banking sector reform, transparency, and the implementation of comprehensive electricity sector reforms.",
  "summary": "The US is studying how it could help Lebanon address its decades-old electricity crisis, two people with direct knowledge of the talks have told The National . The issue was raised during Lebanese President Joseph Aoun ’s visit to the White House last month, when the US agreed to take up Lebanon’s electricity file, study it and assess where it could provide support. “President Aoun had many files…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "US considering support for Lebanon’s electricity sector, sources say",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/us-considering-support-for-lebanons-electricity-sector-sources-say",
        "published": "2026-08-19T14:44:43.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}