Solar ‘boom’ times as Lebanon’s fossil fuels run dry

With electricity becoming a scarce commodity, thousands of well-off Lebanese rush to alternative energy.

Broummana, Lebanon – Blackouts have gripped Lebanon in recent weeks as an entire nation is forced to adjust to life without electricity. Because of the government’s failure to secure heavy fuel oil for power plants, electricity provided by the state-owned Electricité du Liban has dwindled to two hours per day, and has been shut off completely in some areas of the country. Privately owned diesel generators, which used to cover a three-hour gap in government-supplied power, are now responsible for the remaining 22 hours of the day.