A simple analytic model for the estimation of lower‐hybrid‐generated current in the presence of a dc electric field is derived. The model is based on a perturbation solution of the adjoint problem to the Fokker–Planck equation and includes the effect of the continuous wave spectrum. It indicates that the dependence of the current drive efficiency on the dc electric field is determined only by the wave accessibility condition. The model’s results are found to agree with the ASDEX tokamak lower‐hybrid experimental data [Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion27, 1399 (1985)] as well as the newly developed two‐dimensional Fokker–Planck code results. The predictions lie within an experimental scattering of about 20%.