Large-scale clean energy projects shouldn't eclipse the urgent need to provide electricity to low-income and rural communities Will Ethiopia's renewable energy project light up poor communities? Photograph: Rebecca Blackwell/AP The 84 wind turbines erected just south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 's capital, tower above an arid landscape of grassland and unpaved roads, inhabited mostly by small-scale farmers, who – along with 77% of population – lack access to electricity . The Ashegoda wind farm, launched in November, will produce an estimated 400 GWh of electricity per year, and forms just one piece of the Ethiopian government's strategy to harness indigenous energy resources for development. When – and to what extent – the country's rural population will benefit depends on striking a balance between investing in new grid-connected generation and effective strategies for expanding access. Ethiopia today stands at a crossroads. In 2012, it had the world