This report explores how Ethiopia could better meet rural energy needs by mainstreaming decentralized renewable energy options into its development planning process. It examines the prospects for mainstreaming sustainable energy access into the development planning process and the implications of this for international development financiers, national policymakers, private actors and local energy planners. In particular, it identifies institutional, financial and policy criteria—related to both state and non-state actors—that are required to integrate sustainable energy access and meet implementation challenges in the Ethiopian rural energy sector. Based on this analysis, the report discusses policy implications for other sub-Saharan African countries.