Statute Details
- Title: Electricity (Electricity Transmission Licence — Exemption) Order 2021
- Act Code: EA2001-S361-2021
- Legislative Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Electricity Act (Cap. 89A)
- Enacting Authority: Energy Market Authority of Singapore (with the approval of the Minister for Trade and Industry)
- Commencement: 1 June 2021
- Primary Provision: Exemption from section 6(1)(b) of the Electricity Act
- Key Section(s): Sections 1–2
- Current Version: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026 (per the legislation portal)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Electricity (Electricity Transmission Licence — Exemption) Order 2021 is a targeted regulatory instrument that grants a specific exemption from the Electricity Act’s licensing requirement for electricity transmission. In practical terms, it allows a named electricity operator to transmit electricity without holding a transmission licence for a narrowly defined purpose and location.
Under the Electricity Act, transmission of electricity is generally regulated through a licensing regime. However, the Act also empowers the competent authority to exempt particular persons or activities from licensing requirements in appropriate circumstances. This Order is one such exemption: it is not a general reform of the licensing framework, but rather a case-specific carve-out designed to facilitate a particular electricity supply arrangement.
The Order’s scope is therefore narrow: it concerns the transmission of electricity by Tuas Power Generation Pte. Ltd. (TPG) from a specified point within its facilities to a specified jetty location, for the purpose of supplying electricity to operate that jetty.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1 (Citation and commencement) provides the formal commencement date and identifies the instrument. The Order is cited as the Electricity (Electricity Transmission Licence — Exemption) Order 2021 and comes into operation on 1 June 2021. For practitioners, this matters because any exemption from licensing obligations would only apply from the commencement date (unless otherwise stated, which is not indicated in the extract).
Section 2 (Exemption from section 6(1)(b) of the Electricity Act) is the substantive provision. The Order states that section 6(1)(b) of the Electricity Act does not apply to Tuas Power Generation Pte. Ltd. in respect of its transmission of electricity from a defined source to a defined destination.
More specifically, the exemption covers TPG’s transmission of electricity from its Sea Water Booster Pump Board at 60 Tuas South Avenue 9, Singapore 637607 to the jetty at Private Lot A3008205 at the State Foreshore adjoining Foreshore Lots 4170M and 4230V in Mukim No. 7, again at 60 Tuas South Avenue 9, Singapore 637607. The exemption is expressly for the purposes of supplying electricity for the operation of the jetty.
Condition attached to the exemption (Section 2(2)): even where a licence exemption is granted, it is not a blanket deregulation. The Order makes the exemption subject to a condition that TPG complies with any direction given by the Authority under section 17 of the Act in respect of the transmission of electricity.
This is an important legal safeguard. Section 17 directions typically allow the regulator to impose operational, safety, technical, or compliance requirements to ensure that exempted activities do not undermine the regulatory objectives of the Electricity Act. For legal counsel, the practical takeaway is that the exemption does not remove regulatory oversight; it shifts the compliance framework from “licence conditions” (which would normally apply under a licence) to “regulatory directions” under the Act.
Who is exempted and what is exempted? The exemption is both person-specific and activity-specific. It is granted to TPG and relates to transmission between particular points and for a particular purpose. This means that if TPG were to transmit electricity outside the described route, to different premises, or for a different purpose, the exemption would likely not apply. Conversely, within the described scope, the licensing requirement in section 6(1)(b) is carved out.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
This Order is extremely short and consists of only two operative provisions.
Section 1 deals with citation and commencement. It is a standard legislative drafting element that tells readers what the instrument is called and when it takes effect.
Section 2 contains the substantive exemption. It is structured in two parts: subsection (1) identifies the exemption and the precise transmission activity covered, while subsection (2) imposes a condition that TPG must comply with any directions issued by the Energy Market Authority under section 17 of the Electricity Act.
There are no schedules, definitions, or additional procedural provisions in the extract. The brevity is consistent with an exemption order that is intended to be applied directly to a specific factual scenario.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to Tuas Power Generation Pte. Ltd. (TPG) only. It does not create a general exemption for all electricity transmitters or all facilities. The exemption is therefore best understood as a private, targeted regulatory relief granted to a named entity.
In terms of activity, the exemption applies only to TPG’s transmission of electricity from the specified Sea Water Booster Pump Board to the specified jetty location, for the purpose of supplying electricity to operate the jetty. The condition in section 2(2) applies to the exempted transmission activity and requires compliance with any directions under section 17 of the Electricity Act.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Order is narrow, it is legally significant because it clarifies when the licensing requirement for electricity transmission does not apply. For practitioners advising energy companies, port operators, industrial facility owners, or project developers, such exemption orders can be decisive for structuring arrangements and determining regulatory obligations.
Regulatory compliance and risk management: Without an exemption, transmission activities may trigger the need for a transmission licence under the Electricity Act. A licence exemption reduces licensing burdens, but it does not eliminate regulatory oversight. The condition requiring compliance with section 17 directions means that the Energy Market Authority retains the ability to regulate the exempted transmission activity through directions. Counsel should therefore treat the exemption as a “licence substitute” rather than a “regulatory free zone.”
Operational certainty for specific infrastructure: The Order facilitates electricity supply for the operation of a jetty connected to TPG’s facilities. In many industrial and maritime contexts, electricity transmission may be integrated into operational systems (e.g., pumps, utilities, and supporting infrastructure). Exemption orders can support continuity of operations where obtaining or maintaining a full transmission licence may be disproportionate to the limited scope of the transmission activity.
Interpretation and boundaries: Because the exemption is tied to specific locations and purposes, the legal boundaries matter. If the transmission arrangement changes—such as rerouting cables, expanding the supply to additional premises, or using the electricity for a different operational purpose—TPG would need to reassess whether the exemption still applies. Practitioners should consider documenting the “as-built” configuration and the operational purpose to support reliance on the exemption.
Related Legislation
- Electricity Act (Cap. 89A) — in particular:
- Section 6(1)(b) (licensing requirement for electricity transmission)
- Section 8(1) (power to make exemption orders)
- Section 17 (authority to issue directions relevant to transmission activities)
- Electricity Act (general framework governing licensing, regulation, and oversight of electricity activities)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Electricity (Electricity Transmission Licence — Exemption) Order 2021 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.