Ethiopia's invisible biomass energy system requires national accounting for sustainable governance

This biomass, sourced from fuelwood, charcoal, crop residues, and animal dung, forms an "invisible grid" that powers households, commercial food production, public institutions, and small enterprises across the country. Unlike the formally governed electric grid, the biomass system operates largely through informal supply chains, lacking a national account to track extraction, sustainable replacement rates, demand concentration, or resource depletion. Current estimates suggest Ethiopia is depleting its biomass resources nearly four times faster than they can be sustainably replaced, resulting in an annual deficit of approximately 75 million tons in 2022.

This deficit is projected to grow to about 195 million tons by 2050 if current trends continue. The article argues that a National Biomass Account is crucial for effective governance, enabling coordinated policies across energy, urban development, forestry, and agriculture. Such an account would measure annual biological growth, withdrawals by fuel type and location, and changes in the underlying biomass stock.

It would also help evaluate the effectiveness of interventions like tree planting, improved cooking efficiency, and electrification, especially considering the increasing urban demand for biomass. Ethiopia's