The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is partnering with IKEA Foundation to improve access to energy in rural communities in Ethiopia. RMI will leverage a US$1M grant from IKEA Foundation to provide rural communities with access to renewable energy.
The institute will also leverage the grant to ensure project beneficiaries create new opportunities for income generation by using energy effectively. The project will target farming communities.
Ethiopia has managed to power only 25% of its population with electricity, according to the International Energy Agency. More than 50 million people lack access to energy.
The Ethiopian government has prioritised universal access to electricity and aims to reach 100% electrification by 2025, with 35% of the population utilising off-grid energy solutions and the other 65% of the country connected to the grid.
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Shambhavi Sharma, programme manager in the renewable energy team at the IKEA Foundation, said: “We want to bring the renewable-energy sector together to articulate sustainable-energy solutions that put people living in poverty at the heart of their work. That is why we have partnered with Rocky Mountain Institute to bring diverse partners to tackle the biggest challenges in the renewable energy sector in Ethiopia, helping people afford a better life while protecting the planet.”
Francis Elisha, RMI Africa principal, said: “We are honoured to partner with IKEA Foundation in Ethiopia. Over the past few years we’ve seen the incredible opportunities that distributed energy resources, like decentralised mini-grids, bring to rural communities. They not only electrify communities but also build local resilience and bolster economic growth.”
Source: ESI Africa