Ethiopia has an estimated >10,000 MW of geothermal energy potential, more than double its current power generating capacity (4,400 MW). Electricity access stands at 44% of the total population, with 31% in rural areas, so effective development of this low-carbon resource could make a significant impact to equitable delivery of electricity. However, geothermal energy exploitation must be done responsibly to protect valuable water resources under stress from climate-change driven drought conditions and competing uses across agricultural, domestic, and industrial sectors. Our review provides progress updates on geothermal developments-which soon aim to deliver more than 1,000 MW of electricityand performs a high-level assessment of hydrochemical data for ground and surface waters across Ethiopia. A water quality database was built using publicly available information and three quality control criteria: well-defined sample loca-