(ARLINGTON, VA) – The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) announced that its international affiliate—NRECA International—has contracted with the World Bank to help prepare a national strategy for electrification in Ethiopia. The strategy will lay the groundwork for sustainable economic growth by expanding access to electricity for millions of Ethiopians.
Working with key Ethiopian government agencies, NRECA International will conduct an analysis of the energy sector, provide a detailed plan to double the number of homes and businesses with access to electricity and increase and diversify power generation. Currently about three out of four Ethiopian households do not have access to electric service. The project is one component of Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan.
“An increasing number of world leaders now recognize that reliable access to electricity is critical for sustainable economic growth,” said Dan Waddle, NRECA International senior vice president. “We look forward to helping Ethiopia meet its growing demand for electricity with a generation, transmission and distribution roadmap to connect communities with electricity, including millions of people living in rural areas.”
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 private, not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide service to 42 million people in 47 states. NRECA’s international affiliate—NRECA International – has been working in developing countries since 1962. Its global commitment has helped provide electricity to more than 110 million people in 43 countries.