Beirut looks to wind power

Danish officials say Lebanon has the potential to generate as much as 140 megawatts of electricity through wind power, a lawmaker said. Jan Top Christensen, the Danish ambassador to Beirut, said the gap between electricity supply and demand in Lebanon is unsustainable. "There is currently an 800 MW gap between energy supply and demand in Lebanon which is being filled by private generators," he was quoted by Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star as saying. Mohammad Qabbani, chairman of a Lebanese committee on energy, said the visiting Danish delegation estimated wind developments could come online as early as 2013. Lebanese Energy Minister Gebran Bassil said the electricity problems in Lebanon were because of the negligence of previous administrations and a lack of overall investment. He's come under fire in recent weeks as power cuts grow in severity. "From a societal and an environmental point of view, this is completely inefficient," Christensen said.