AI Overview:
As of late 2025, residents in Addis Ababa, including areas like Lebu and Figa, have faced severe power disruptions, with reports indicating widespread outages and daily electricity cuts. While the city has high electricity access rates compared to other regions, aging infrastructure and high demand have led to frequent blackouts, with some reports showing outages averaging up to 46 hours in certain areas.
The situation regarding crypto mining and power consumption has shifted, with developments as of March 2026 highlighting the following:
Crypto Mining Impact on Power: While Ethiopia initially encouraged Bitcoin mining to generate foreign currency (earning $338 million in 2024/25), these operations began to consume a significant portion of the country's energy, drawing criticism as local households struggled with outages.
Government Shift in Policy: In August 2025, Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) announced plans to phase out crypto mining operations, halting new permits due to the increased energy burden.
Tariff Changes: EEP ended flat-rate tariffs for crypto miners, introducing higher time-of-use rates starting December 1, 2025, to ensure domestic consumers remain the priority.
Energy Generation & Future: Despite the current shortages, Ethiopia continues to rely heavily on hydropower and is completing major projects like the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which currently contributes 3,400 megawatts, aimed at alleviating the national shortage.
By March 2026, the government began focusing on turning state-backed mining into revenue, seeking partners, but had previously halted private, external crypto mining expansion to stabilize the grid.