Sri Lanka Electricity Act 2009 · As enacted · Part III · Modification and Enforcement of Licences
61. Interpretation
Official English translation. The Sinhala text prevails.
Official translationFrom Department of Government Printing, unchanged
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
“authorized” means authorized by a licence issued or an exemption granted under this Act;
“Authorized Area” in relation to a person authorized by a licence to transmit or to distribute and supply or distribute or supply electricity, means the area designated in the licence;
“bulk sales” in relation to the sale of electricity means the sale of electricity in bulk by the transmission licensee via its transmission system, to-
distribution licensees; and
those consumers who are connected to the transmission licensee’s transmission system and identified in the transmission licence;
“Central Environmental Authority” means the Central
Environmental Authority established by the
National Environmental Act, No. 47 of 1980 ;
“connect ” in relation to any premises means connect to a distribution line of the distribution licensee and the expression “connection” shall be construed accordingly;
“consumer” means a consumer of electricity in Sri Lanka and includes a prospective consumer;
“contravention” in relation to any decision, direction, determination, licence condition, requirement, regulation, rule or order includes any failure to comply with it;
“disadvantaged group of consumers” means consumers belonging to any group of consumers whose individual house hold income is less than such amount as may be prescribed by regulation;
“distribute” in relation to electricity means distribute by means of a system which consists(wholly or mainly)
of low voltage lines and electrical plant and is used for conveying electricity to any premises or to any other distribution system and the expressions
“distribution” and ‘distribution system’ shall be construed accordingly;
“ distribution licensee” means a person who has been granted a distribution licence;
“distribution line” in relation to a distribution licensee, means any distribution line in the Authorized Area of the distribution licensee, which is being used for the purpose of giving a supply of electricity to any premises;
“dwelling” means a building or part of a building occupied or (if not occupied ) last occupied or intended to be occupied, as a private dwelling;
“electric line” means any line whether underground or over ground which is used for carrying electricity for any purpose and includes, unless the context otherwise requires—
any support for any such line, including but not limited to, any structure, pole or other thing in, on, by or from which any such line is or may be supported, carried or suspended;
any apparatus connected to any such line for the purpose of carrying electricity; and
any wire, cable, tube, pipe or other similar thing (including its casing, insulator or coating) which surrounds or supports or is surrounded or supported by or is installed in close proximity to or is supported, carried or suspended in association with, any such line;
“electrical plant” means any plant, equipment, apparatus or appliance used for or for purposes connected with, the generation, transmission, distribution or supply of electricity, other than—
an electric line;
a meter used for ascertaining the quantity of electricity supplied to any premises; or
an electrical appliance under the control of a consumer;
“electricity supply code” means the provisions of
Schedule II to this Act ;
“electricity undertaking” means any person engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution or supply of electricity, including any person who is exempted from obtaing a licence under this Act;
“enforcement order” means an enforcement order made by the Commission under section 34 ;
“exemption” means an exemption granted under section 10;
“financial year” means the calendar year ;
“Fund” means the Fund of the Commission established under section 31 of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka Act, No.35 of 2002;
“generation licensee” means a person who has been granted a generation licence;
“generator” means a generation licensee or a person exempt from the requirement of obtaining a generation licence;
“high voltage lines” means an electric line of a nominal voltage of not more than 33 kilovolts or such other voltage as the Commission may direct in accordance with section 45 and the expression “low voltage line” shall be construed accordingly;
“licence” means a licence granted under section 11 and
“licensee” or “licensees” shall be construed accordingly;
“life line tariff” means a concessionary electricity tariff made available to the section of the population who are unable financially to afford to pay for the basic electricity needs, at a rate representing the true cost of supply;
“line” means any wire, cable, pipe, conductor or other similar thing (including its casing or coating) which is designed or adapted for transporting electricity;
“local authority” means a Municipal Council, Urban
Council or a Pradeshiya Sabha, and includes any authority created and established by or under any law to exercise, perform and discharge, powers, duties and functions corresponding to, or similar to the powers, duties and functions exercised, performed, and discharged by any such Council or
Sabha;
“modifications” includes additions, alterations and omissions;
“necessary wayleave” means consent for the licensee to install and keep installed the electric line on, under or over the land and to have access to the land for the purpose of inspecting, maintaining, adjusting, repairing, altering, replacing or removing the electric line;
“notice” means notice in writing;
“premises” includes any land, building or structure;
“prescribed” means prescribed by rules or regulations made under this Act;
“Provincial Council” means a Provincial Council established under Chapter XVII A of the
Constitution;
“register” means the register maintained under section 58;
“regulations” means regulations made by the Minister under this Act;
“relevant condition” in relation to a licensee, means any condition of its licence or any duty imposed on it by or under this Act;
“relevant licencee” has the meaning as given in subsection (5) of section 30;
“relevant undertaker” has the meaning as given in paragraph 2 of Schedule I to this Act;
“rules” means rules made by the Commission under this
Act;
“sell electricity in bulk” has the same meaning as “bulk sales”;
“supply” in relation to electricity, means supply of electricity to any premises (other than premises occupied by a licensee for the purpose of carrying on the activities which it is authorized by its licence to carry on) but shall exclude bulk sales of electricity;
“tariff customer” means a person who requires a supply of electricity from a distribution licensee in pursuance of section 25 and is supplied by the distribution licensee;
“transmission licensee” means a person who has been granted a transmission licence under this Act ;
and
“transmit”, in relation to electricity, means the transportation of electricity by means of a system, which consists (wholly or mainly) of high voltage lines and electrical plant and is used for conveying electricity from a generating station to a sub-station, from one generating station to another or from one sub-station to another, and the expressions
“transmission” and “transmission system” shall be construed accordingly.