Renewable energy in Ethiopia

Ethiopia generates most of its electricity from renewable energy, mainly hydropower. The country is strategically expanding its energy sector, aiming for a more diverse and resilient mix. Currently, Ethiopia's energy production is heavily reliant on hydropower, which constitutes about 90% of its generated electricity but is vulnerable to climate-induced droughts. To address this, the government is implementing key hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar projects.

Ethiopia's renewable energy portfolio is broad and includes significant hydroelectric capacity, along with wind, solar and geothermal power. This is a source of renewable energy that the country can generate on over 60,000 megawatts (MW). To accelerate energy sector development, the Ethiopian government launched initiatives such as the Scaling Solar program, and the already operational Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), with an installed capacity of 1,550 MW, demonstrating its efforts in this direction.

Under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement, Ethiopia aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025, with a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 68.8%. Meanwhile, Ethiopia has yet to achieve its target of carbon neutrality, and the country is balancing the transition to renewable energy sources with efforts to address energy poverty and promote economic growth.