Electrifying Ethiopia, Consolidating Power: The Challenge of Distributing Electricity

The Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front’s (EPRDF’s) dam building was part of a national development strategy tasked not only with socioeconomic development but also with securing the political position of the ruling party. Hydroelectric dams were expected to support industrial employment creation, deliver mass electricity access, and boost foreign exchange earnings. To do so required not just expanding generation capacity but also ensuring that hydroelectricity reached key users. This chapter examines the extent to which the EPRDF succeeded in realizing its political-economic goals for the sector. Despite expanding the grid to nearly 60 per cent of the country, the chapter concludes that the EPRDF ultimately failed to realize any of its key objectives. Indeed, progress was undermined by poor planning and political influence on decision making, with household connections remaining very low, while limited provision to new industrial parks undermined efforts to promote foreign investment. Moreover, hopes of large-scale electricity exports remain unrealized.