Latest news with #PublicElectricityLaw
Zawya
17 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
2025 Public Electricity Law paves way for green energy transition in Jordan
AMMAN — The Public Electricity Law of 2025, published in the Official Gazette, came into effect on Friday, marking a 'significant' step in reforming Jordan's energy sector. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said in a statement on Saturday that the law aims to improve efficiency in electricity use, ensure fair distribution, and enhance service quality for citizens, according to Al Mamlaka TV. It also boosts the principles of transparency and governance while supporting the country's shift towards a more sustainable energy future. The ministry noted that the legislation will reduce reliance on costly energy imports by expanding local renewable production, mainly solar and wind power, which have seen rapid growth in recent years. It also protects Jordan from fluctuations in global energy prices and geopolitical disruptions. The law provides a framework for major domestic and foreign investments in renewable projects, including green hydrogen, a leading source of clean energy, and also introduces, for the first time, regulations for electricity storage facilities, allowing individuals and companies to own and operate storage units for self-consumption or grid support. In line with Jordan's Economic Modernisation Vision 2033, the law encourages innovation, adoption of new technologies, and integration with the country's digital and green economy strategies. Energy Minister Saleh Kharabsheh on Saturday told Al Mamlaka TV that the new legislation replaces the temporary electricity law issued in 2002, establishing a more efficient and resilient system. He highlighted provisions that promote self-generation of electricity, whether through independent or shared facilities, enabling businesses and households to consume their own power and sell surplus energy to the national grid. The minister stressed that linking renewable generation with storage solutions will enhance grid stability and optimise resource use. He added that investors are now permitted to build private power networks, a practice previously prohibited, under clear technical standards and legal timelines for approvals, which is expected to attract large-scale investments, particularly in green hydrogen. Kharabsheh also underlined incentives for citizens and companies to adopt energy storage technologies, as costs continue to fall, noting that the law empowers distribution companies to establish local substations, improve service reliability, and cut losses, ultimately reducing long-term electricity costs for consumers. By prioritising renewable energy and domestic resources, the minister added, Jordan will enhance energy security and lower dependency on imports, ensuring a 'stable and cost-effective' electricity system for years to come. © Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Ammon
09-07-2025
- Business
- Ammon
Cabinet addresses municipal governance, economic stimulus, and key services
Ammon News - The Cabinet on Wednesday discussed a range of key issues, including municipal governance, economic stimulus measures, and essential health and water services. The meeting follows the dissolution of municipal and provincial councils last Sunday, part of a broader political modernization drive. The Cabinet focused on ensuring the effective performance of municipalities across the Kingdom. Minister of Local Administration Walid Al-Masri briefed the Cabinet on the work of newly formed temporary committees, outlining their mandates and future monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The Cabinet emphasized that these temporary committees must operate in full coordination with relevant bodies to improve municipal services, enhance governance, develop infrastructure, automate services, and complete citizen-centric projects. Continuous evaluation of the committees' work and service quality will be maintained. Discussions also covered next steps to advance legislative reforms governing local administration, aligning with the government's commitment to modernize these laws and streamline municipal operations. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan called for intensified national dialogues on legislative development, ensuring broad participation to achieve high-quality legislation for municipal and provincial councils. These discussions began in early June, focusing on recommendations from the Royal Committee to Modernize the Political System regarding local administration, and are set to continue. To bolster the tourism sector and stimulate economic activity, the Cabinet approved a three-year extension of the special tax exemption on airline tickets for flights departing from King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba. This measure aims to attract more airlines and tourists to Jordan, particularly Aqaba, by reducing flight costs, thereby boosting the tourism sector's contribution to the national economy. In the energy sector, the Cabinet approved the rationale for a draft bylaw governing the establishment, licensing, operation, and maintenance of independent electricity transmission systems. It also covers procedures for establishing and connecting self-generation and storage stations to these systems. This move aligns with the new Public Electricity Law (No. 10 of 2025), published on May 15, 2025, and effective mid-August. The new system is designed to encourage investment and competition in green hydrogen and other economically vital energy projects, consistent with the National Energy Strategy and the Economic Modernization Vision. Furthermore, the Cabinet sanctioned the settlement of 672 outstanding cases between taxpayers and the Income and Sales Tax Department. This reflects the government's ongoing effort to alleviate burdens on economic activities, investors, and citizens, stimulate economic growth, and enhance the business environment. The Cabinet approved measures for transferring land ownership in the Ma'in area to the Jordan Investment Fund, paving the way for the construction of the new Madaba Hospital. This follows Prime Minister Hassan's announcement in March to build a new, advanced government hospital in Madaba, expected to cost an estimated 60 million dinars ($84.6 million), rising to 80 million dinars ($112.8 million) with full equipment. Construction is slated to begin this year and conclude within four years, marking the first such public-private partnership in the sector with KPW Investment and Infrastructure Company. Additionally, the Cabinet endorsed the Medical Committees System for 2025, which aims to regulate the work of medical committees, define their levels and specializations, and establish judicial committees in the northern, central, and southern regions of the Kingdom, not just the capital. These committees will handle disability percentages from traffic and other accidents, easing the burden on citizens. A central appellate judicial committee will also be established in the capital to review appeals against regional judicial committee decisions, ensuring fairness. To advance the National Water Carrier project, a strategic initiative within the Economic Modernization Vision, the Cabinet approved documents from the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) of the World Bank Group. These documents pertain to a guarantee contract and financial/legal instruments for investor companies Eurasia SAS Meridiam and SUEZ International SAS, facilitating the project's construction, operation, and maintenance. The project aims to provide 300 million cubic meters of potable water annually, increasing supplies to all governorates. In the realm of international cooperation, the Cabinet approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Jordanian Diplomatic Institute and the Kuwaiti Saud Nasser Al-Sabah Diplomatic Institute. The MoU establishes a framework for developing cooperative activities and offering joint diplomatic training programs, workshops, and executive certificates. This initiative seeks to enhance the expertise and skills of diplomats, provide them with support and guidance, and build knowledge in relevant fields, leveraging Jordan's leadership in diplomatic training.
Jordan News
04-05-2025
- Business
- Jordan News
The Senate Approves the Electricity Law and the Jordanian National Commission for Women's Affairs - Jordan News
The Senate Approves the Electricity Law and the Jordanian National Commission for Women's Affairs In its session today, Sunday, the Senate approved two bills: the Public Electricity Law and the Jordanian National Commission for Women's Affairs, as they were presented by the House of Representatives. اضافة اعلان The Senate, during the session chaired by its President Faisal Al-Fayez and attended by the Cabinet, recommended that the Cabinet's approval be obtained for electricity purchase contracts from power plants and energy storage contracts outlined in the Electricity Law, as these contracts have significant financial and legal implications. The Senate emphasized the importance of clarifying the meaning of "self-generation" mentioned in Article 15, stating that it refers to "non-independent self-generation" when issuing the required regulations. The system should also include conditions for employee qualification to enable them to carry out the role of the judicial officer. The Senate also recommended that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission conduct intensive and periodic awareness campaigns related to the new penalties and fines imposed for violating the provisions of the Electricity Law. The Public Electricity Law defines the roles and powers of both the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission, while also addressing technological developments, introducing the concept of electricity storage, and creating an attractive investment environment in the electricity and green hydrogen sectors. The law further adds the concept of independent self-generation, an independent electricity transmission system, and regulates the Ministry of Energy's preparation of reports on the potential for introducing competition in the electricity sector. In addition, the Senate approved the bill for the Jordanian National Commission for Women's Affairs, which establishes a legal framework to organize women's affairs through the creation of a national, independent, non-governmental body responsible for these matters. This body will have legal personality, financial independence, and administrative autonomy, ensuring a complementary role between official and non-governmental institutions. The bill also defines the institutional framework for the Jordanian National Commission for Women's Affairs to support its work according to the tasks and responsibilities assigned to it since its establishment in 1992, aiming to enhance women's status and empower them in political, economic, and social fields in cooperation and coordination with both official and non-governmental institutions. Source: Petra News Agency
