MP Jamil Al-Sayyed, a close ally of the Iran- backed Hezbollah militia warned the the government against any move to impose fees or restrictions on residential solar energy systems, deeming the mere contemplation of such a step “the height of ignorance regarding people’s circumstances.”
In a post on the “X” platform, Al-Sayyid stated that imposing conditions related to licensing, municipalities, and obtaining approvals from civil and electrical engineers—as well as their professional syndicate—comes at a time when the state is unable to provide more than two hours of electricity daily.
He added that merely contemplating such measures amounts to—in his words—”the height of folly,” warning that the government is “playing with fire” through this approach.
Lebanon’s state-owned electric utility, Électricité du Liban (EDL), is widely recognized as one of the most corrupt and loss-making institutions in the country, draining tens of billions of dollars from public funds while delivering only a few hours of power a day.
The Free Patriotic Movement , another Hezbollah ally controlled Lebanon’s Ministry of Energy and Water for more than a decade, starting in 2009 until early 2025, a period marked by severe electricity shortages and financial crisis,
Historically, public utility collection has been notoriously difficult in various regions across Lebanon, especially the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut (Dahieh). This was largely driven by informal main-tapping and a weak state presence.
About 20% to 30% of households in Lebanon use solar power, following a massive surge in rooftop installations driven by chronic state electricity blackouts and the collapse of the traditional grid . Neither this government nor its predecessors have been able to meet the electric demands of the Lebanese , mainly because of the chronic corruption within the ministry and the utility company for this reason the Lebanese people have only 2 choices
1- Subscribing to a private electricity generation company
2 – installing their own solar or wind power generation system
MP El-Sayed also served as the powerful head of Lebanon’s General Security from 1998 to 2005, when the Syrian occupational forces left Lebanon following the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri on Valentine day which was blamed on 3 Hezbollah operatives
