One-year journey of building the Electricity Law 2024: Urgent - thorough - responsible - scientific

TCCT On the afternoon of November 30, with 439/463 delegates participating in the vote in favor (accounting for 91.65% of the total number of National Assembly delegates participating in the vote), the National Assembly passed the Electricity Law (amended). This is an important Law project, having a great impact on the economy , ensuring the country's growth and development goals as well as national energy security.

The Electricity Law 2024 replaces the Electricity Law dated December 3, 2004; which was amended and supplemented 4 times in 2012, 2018, 2022 and 2023 (effective from July 1, 2024), after nearly 20 years of implementation).

The Electricity Law (amended) takes effect from February 1, 2025.

The Electricity Law (amended) was passed with a high approval rate. (Photo: National Assembly )

The Electricity Law (amended) consists of 9 Chapters and 81 Articles, fully implementing and institutionalizing the spirit of Resolution No. 55-NQ/TW dated February 11, 2020 of the Politburo on the orientation of Vietnam's national energy development strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

The 2024 Electricity Law covers major policies such as electricity planning, electricity market and renewable energy development, ensuring consistency with related laws, and adding many regulations to remove long-standing bottlenecks, such as the mechanism for implementing emergency electricity projects; clarifying the handling and replacement mechanism for slow-progressing electricity projects.

During the drafting and public consultation process, many experts said that amending the Electricity Law is an urgent issue and needs to be approved soon to ensure energy security for economic and social development according to the strategic goals set by the Party and Government, while also being consistent with the global zero carbon orientation that Vietnam has committed to.

Previously, according to the content of Resolution No. 203/NQ-CP dated December 1, 2023, the Government requested: " The Ministry of Industry and Trade completes the dossier of the Proposal to develop the Law in the direction of submitting it to the National Assembly for comments and approval at a session (8th Session, October 2024). The Minister of Industry and Trade directly directs the work of developing the Electricity Law project (amended), focusing maximum resources, urgently organizing the drafting of the Law project, ensuring progress and quality".

Minister of Industry and Trade speaks at the meeting of the Drafting Committee and Editorial Team of the Electricity Law Project (amended)

To ensure the progress assigned by the Government, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has proactively established a Law Development Research Team. The Drafting Board and Editorial Team for the Electricity Law (amended) project were established under Decision No. 462/QD-BCT of the Minister of Industry and Trade, including 47 members from a number of Departments and Offices under the Ministry of Industry and Trade; Ministries, branches, localities and experts from a number of associations, Departments of Industry and Trade and enterprises.

Draft 2 of the amended Electricity Law has been widely consulted since March 29, 2024 (within 60 days) after Draft 1 was approved at the first meeting of the Drafting Committee and Editorial Team.

During the consultation process, the Ministry of Industry and Trade organized conferences, seminars, and thematic meetings in the three regions of North - Central - South. The groups under the Editorial Board led by the Electricity Regulatory Authority, the Electricity Authority, and the Environmental Safety Authority have organized many group meetings of the Editorial Board on each topic.

On June 11, 2024, the Draft Law on Electricity (amended) and accompanying documents in the dossier proposing the drafting of the Draft Law on Electricity (amended) were sent to the Ministry of Justice for appraisal before submitting to the Government. As of June 18, 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has received 122 documents (01 document from the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment; 20 documents from ministries and ministerial-level agencies, 60 documents from provincial-level agencies, 13 documents from agencies and units under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, 26 documents from associations and enterprises operating in the electricity sector and 01 written opinion from an expert on the electricity market) and 01 opinion on the electronic information portal.

On July 5, 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Trade submitted to the Government the Draft Law on Electricity (amended) and documents attached to the draft Law. On July 23, 2024, the Government held a meeting of the Government Standing Committee to give opinions on the Draft Law on Electricity (amended).

On August 8, 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Trade completed the procedure of sending the dossier to the Office of the National Assembly and the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment for examination.

On August 5, 6 and 9, 2024, the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment held a workshop on "Giving comments on perfecting the draft Law on Electricity (amended)". The Ministry of Industry and Trade continues to send the comments of the delegates at the workshop to the Departments and Divisions to receive, explain and revise the draft Law according to the assigned functions and tasks.

On October 4, 2024, the Committee on Science, Technology and Environment held a meeting to review the draft Law on Electricity (amended).

Orienting some major viewpoints in amending the Electricity Law, General Secretary To Lam emphasized the necessity of amending the Electricity Law in response to the requirements of infrastructure and energy - one of the pillars, leading and breakthrough factors for socio-economic development, ensuring national energy security in the face of the huge challenge of electricity shortage.

At the 8th Session, the National Assembly discussed and gave opinions on the draft Law on Electricity (amended), with 104 National Assembly deputies speaking in groups and 32 National Assembly deputies giving opinions (25 National Assembly deputies speaking in the Hall and 07 comments in writing sent through the Secretariat). Many opinions of National Assembly deputies agreed on the necessity of promulgating the Law on Electricity (amended) and basically agreed with many contents of the draft.

Authorized by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Industry and Trade presented the Submission on the draft Law on Electricity (amended) at the meeting on October 21, 2024.

Over the past year, the revised Electricity Law Project has been prepared very seriously; mobilizing all resources in a truly receptive, listening, and democratic spirit; making the most of the intelligence and contributions of experts, scientists, the business community, voters and people nationwide.

With a sense of responsibility, efforts and close coordination of the National Assembly agencies, the Government, relevant agencies and organizations have deployed work urgently but thoroughly and cautiously to develop and ensure the quality of the draft Law and it was voted and passed by the National Assembly on the afternoon of November 30, 2024.

According to Industry and Trade Magazine