GERD consortium urges grid investment to bring dam’s power to Ethiopian households
A consortium supporting GERD has urged Ethiopia to expand its domestic electricity grid and direct export revenues toward distribution, according to a September 12 report.
In short
- A consortium supporting GERD has urged Ethiopia to expand its domestic electricity grid and direct export revenues toward distribution, according to a September 12 report.
A consortium supporting the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has called for greater investment in Ethiopia’s electricity distribution network, arguing that increased generation must translate into reliable power for households and businesses.
The GERD International Collaborative Consortium made the appeal in an anniversary statement reported by The Reporter on September 12, 2026. The dam was inaugurated on September 9, 2025.
Citing Ethiopian Electric Power data, the consortium said GERD supplied 51.5 percent of Ethiopia’s electricity generation during the 2025/26 fiscal period. Those figures were relayed through the consortium and have not been independently confirmed by AddisMizan.
The group urged policymakers to channel electricity-export revenues into local distribution infrastructure and give priority to industries that create jobs. Its central argument was that additional generating capacity cannot by itself ensure affordable and dependable electricity access.
The consortium is a network of civic and professional groups in Ethiopia and several diaspora countries that supports GERD and equitable Nile water management. Its statement represents an advocacy position on how the dam’s benefits should be distributed, rather than an announcement of a new government spending commitment.
