law: Electricity Act, 2003
  2. Definitions.-
  In this Act, unless
  
  the context otherwise requires,-
  1.     
  
    "Appellate
  
  Tribunal" means the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity established under
  
  section 110;
  2.     
  
    "appointed
  
  date" means such date as the Central Government may, by notification, appoint;
  3.     
  
    "area
  
  of supply" means the area within which a distribution licensee is
  
  authorised by his licence to supply electricity;
  4.     
  
    "Appropriate
  
  Commission" means the Central Regulatory Commission referred to in
  
  sub-section (1) of section 76 or the State Regulatory Commission referred to in
  
  section 82 or the Joint Commission referred to in section 83, as the case may
  
  be;
  5.     
  
    "Appropriate
  
  Government" means,--
  a.      the Central
  
  Government,--
                       
  
   i.        
  
    in
  
  respect of a generating company wholly or partly owned by it;
                      
  
   ii.        
  
    in
  
  relation to any inter-State generation, transmission, trading or supply of
  
  electricity and with respect to any mines, oil-fields, railways, national
  
  highways, airports, telegraphs, broadcasting stations and any works of defence,
  
  dockyard, nuclear power installations;
                     
  
   iii.        
  
    in
  
  respect of the National Load Despatch Centre and Regional Load Despatch Centre;
                     
  
   iv.        
  
    in
  
  relation to any works or electric installation belonging to it or under its
  
  control;
  b.     in any other case,
  
  the State Government having jurisdiction under this Act;
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  6.      "Authority"
  
  means the Central Electricity Authority referred to in subsection (1) of
  
  section 70;
  7.      "Board"
  
  means a State Electricity Board, constituted before the commencement of this
  
  Act, under sub-section (1) of section 5 of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948
  
  (54 of 1948);
  8.      "Captive
  
  generating plant" means a power plant set up by any person to generate
  
  electricity primarily for his own use and includes a power plant set up by any
  
  co-operative society or association of persons for generating electricity primarily
  
  for use of members of such co-operative society or association;
  9.      "Central
  
  Commission" means the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission referred
  
  to in sub-section (1) of section 76;
  10.   "Central
  
  Transmission Utility" means any Government company which the Central
  
  Government may notify under sub-section (1) of section 38;
  11.   "Chairperson"
  
  means the Chairperson of the Authority or Appropriate Commission or the
  
  Appellate Tribunal, as the case may be;
  12.   "Cogeneration"
  
  means a process which simultaneously produces two or more forms of useful
  
  energy (including electricity);
  13.   "company"
  
  means a company formed and registered under the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956)
  
  and includes any body corporate under a Central, State or Provincial Act;
  14.   "conservation"
  
  means any reduction in consumption of electricity as a result of increase in
  
  the efficiency in supply and use of electricity;
  15.   "consumer"
  
  means any person who is supplied with electricity for his own use by a licensee
  
  or the Government or by any other person engaged in the business of supplying
  
  electricity to the public under this Act or any other law for the time being in
  
  force and includes any person whose premises are for the time being connected
  
  for the purpose of receiving electricity with the works of a licensee, the
  
  Government or such other person, as the case may be;
  16.   "dedicated
  
  transmission lines" means any electric supply-line for point o point
  
  transmission which are required for the purpose of connecting electric lines or
  
  electric plants of a captive generating plant referred to in section 9 or
  
  generating station referred to in section 10 to any transmission lines or
  
  sub-stations or generating stations, or the load centre, as the case may be;
  17.   "distribution
  
  licensee" means a licensee authorised to operate and maintain a
  
  distribution system for supplying electricity to the consumers in his area of
  
  supply;
  18.   "distributing
  
  main" means the portion of any main with which a service line is, or is
  
  intended to be immediately connected;
  19.   "distribution
  
  system" means the system of wires and associated facilities between the
  
  delivery points on the transmission lines or the generating station connection
  
  and the point of connection to the installation of the consumers;
  20.   "electric
  
  line" means any line which is used for carrying electricity for any
  
  purpose and includes--
  a.      any support for any
  
  such line, that is to say, any structure, tower, pole or other thing in, on, by
  
  or from which any such line is, or may be, supported, carried or suspended; and
  b.     any apparatus
  
  connected to any such line for the purpose of carrying electricity;
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    "Electrical
  
  Inspector" means a person appointed as such by the Appropriate Government
  
  under sub-section (1) of section 162 and also includes Chief Electrical
  
  Inspector;
  22.  
  
    "electrical
  
  plant" means any plant, equipment, apparatus or appliance or any part
  
  thereof used for, or connected with, the generation, transmission, distribution
  
  or supply of electricity but does not include--
  a.      an electric line; or
  b.     a meter used for
  
  ascertaining the quantity of electricity supplied to any premises; or
  c.      an electrical
  
  equipment, apparatus or appliance under the control of a consumer;
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    "electricity"
  
  means electrical energy--
  a.      generated,
  
  transmitted, supplied or traded for any purpose; or
  b.     used for any purpose
  
  except the transmission of a message;
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    "Electricity
  
  Supply Code" means the Electricity Supply Code specified under section 50;
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    "electricity
  
  system" means a system under the control of a generating company or
  
  licensee, as the case may be, having one or more--
  a.      generating stations;
  
  or
  b.     transmission lines;
  
  or
  c.      electric lines and
  
  sub-stations, and when used in the context of a State or the Union, the entire
  
  electricity system within the territories thereof;
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    "electricity
  
  trader" means a person who has been granted a licence to undertake trading
  
  in electricity under section 12;
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    "franchisee"
  
  means a person authorised by a distribution licensee to distribute electricity
  
  on its behalf in a particular area within his area of supply;
  28.  
  
    "generating
  
  company" means any company or body corporate or association or body of
  
  individuals, whether incorporated or not, or artificial juridical person, which
  
  owns or operates or maintains a generating station;
  29.  
  
    "generate"
  
  means to produce electricity from a generating station for the purpose of
  
  giving supply to any premises or enabling a supply to be so given;
  30.  
  
    "generating
  
  station" or "station", means any station for generating
  
  electricity, including any building and plant with step-up transformer,
  
  switch-gear, switch yard, cables or other appurtenant equipment, if any, used
  
  for that purpose and the site thereof; a site intended to be used for a
  
  generating station, and any building used for housing the operating staff of a
  
  generating station, and where electricity is generated by water-power, includes
  
  penstocks, head and tail works, main and regulating reservoirs, dams and other
  
  hydraulic works, but does not in any case include any sub-station;
  31.  
  
    "Government
  
  company" shall have the meaning assigned to it in section 617 of the
  
  Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956);
  32.  
  
    "grid"
  
  means the high voltage backbone system of inter-connected transmission lines,
  
  sub-station and generating plants;
  33.  
  
    "Grid
  
  Code" means the Grid Code specified by the Central Commission under clause
  
  (h) of sub-section (1) of section 79;
  34.  
  
    "Grid
  
  Standards" means the Grid Standards specified under clause (d) of section
  
  73 by the Authority;
  35.  
  
    "high
  
  voltage line" means as electric line or cable of a nominal voltage as may
  
  be specified by the Authority from time-to-time;
  36.  
  
    "inter-State
  
  transmission system" includes--
               
  
   i.        
  
    any
  
  system for the conveyance of electricity by means of main transmission line
  
  from the territory of one State to another State;
              
  
   ii.        
  
    the
  
  conveyance of electricity across the territory of an intervening State as well
  
  as conveyance within the State which is incidental to such inter-State
  
  transmission of electricity;
             
  
   iii.        
  
    the
  
  transmission of electricity within the territory of a State on a system built,
  
  owned, operated, maintained or controlled by a Central Transmission Utility;
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    "intra-State
  
  transmission system" means any system for transmission of electricity
  
  other than an inter-State transmission system;
  38.  
  
    "licence"
  
  means a licence granted under section 14;
  39.  
  
    "licensee"
  
  means a person who has been granted a licence under section 14;
  40.  
  
    "line"
  
  means any wire, cable, tube, pipe, insulator, conductor or other similar thing
  
  (including its casing or coating) which is designed or adapted for use in
  
  carrying electricity and includes any line 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;
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    "local
  
  authority" means any Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council, municipal
  
  corporation, Panchayat constituted at the village, intermediate and district
  
  levels, body of port commissioners or other authority legally entitled to, or
  
  entrusted by the Union or any State Government with, the control or management
  
  of any area or local fund;
  42.  
  
    "main"
  
  means any electric supply-line through which electricity is, or is intended to
  
  be, supplied;
  43.  
  
    "Member"
  
  means the Member of the Appropriate Commission or Authority or Joint
  
  Commission, or the Appellate Tribunal, as the case may be, and includes the
  
  Chairperson of such Commission or Authority or Appellate Tribunal;
  44.  
  
    "National
  
  Electricity Plan" means the National Electricity Plan notified under
  
  sub-section (4) of section 3;
  45.  
  
    "National
  
  Load Despatch Centre" means the Centre established under sub-section (1)
  
  of section 26;
  46.  
  
    "notification"
  
  means notification published in the Official Gazette and the expression
  
  "notify" shall be construed accordingly;
  47.  
  
    "open
  
  access" means the non-discriminatory provision for the use of transmission
  
  lines or distribution system or associated facilities with such lines or system
  
  by any licensee or consumer or a person engaged in generation in accordance
  
  with the regulations specified by the Appropriate Commission;
  48.  
  
    "overhead
  
  line" means an electric line which is placed above the ground and in the
  
  open air but does not include live rails of a traction system;
  49.  
  
    "person"
  
  shall include any company or body corporate or association or body of
  
  individuals, whether incorporated or not, or artificial juridical person;
  50.  
  
    "power
  
  system" means all aspects of generation, transmission, distribution and
  
  supply of electricity and includes one or more of the following, namely:--
  a.      generating stations;
  b.     transmission or main
  
  transmission lines;
  c.      sub-stations;
  d.     tie-lines;
  e.      load despatch activities;
  f.      mains or distribution
  
  mains;
  g.     electric
  
  supply-lines;
  h.      overhead lines;
  i.       service lines;
  j.       works;
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    "premises"
  
  includes any land, building or structure;
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    "prescribed"
  
  means prescribed by rules made by the Appropriate Government under this Act;
  53.  
  
    "public
  
  lamp" means an electric lamp used for the lighting of any street;
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    "real
  
  time operation" means action to be taken at a given time at which
  
  information about the electricity system is made available to the concerned
  
  Load Despatch Centre;
  55.  
  
    "Regional
  
  Power Committee" means a committee established by resolution by the
  
  Central Government for a specified region for facilitating the integrated
  
  operation of the power systems in that region;
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    "Regional
  
  Load Despatch Centre" means the Centre established under sub-section (1)
  
  of section 27;
  57.  
  
    "regulations"
  
  means regulations made under this Act;
  58.  
  
    "repealed
  
  laws" means the Indian Electricity Act, 1910, the Electricity (Supply)
  
  Act, 1948 and the Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998 repealed by
  
  section 185;
  59.  
  
    "rules"
  
  means rules made under this Act;
  60.  
  
    "Schedule"
  
  means the Schedule to this Act;
  61.  
  
    "service-line"
  
  means any electric supply-line through which electricity is, or is intended to
  
  be, supplied--
  a.      to a single consumer
  
  either from a distributing main or immediately from the Distribution Licensee's
  
  premises; or
  b.     from a distributing
  
  main to a group of consumers on the same premises or on contiguous premises
  
  supplied from the same point of the distributing main;
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    "specified"
  
  means specified by regulations made by the Appropriate Commission or the
  
  Authority, as the case may be, under this Act;
  63.  
  
    "stand
  
  alone system" means the electricity system set-up to generate power and distribute
  
  electricity in a specified area without connection to the grid;
  64.  
  
    "State
  
  Commission" means the State Electricity Regulatory Commission constituted
  
  under sub-section (1) of section 82 and includes a Joint Commission constituted
  
  under sub-section (1) of section 83;
  65.  
  
    "State
  
  Grid Code" means the State Grid Code specified under clause (h) of
  
  sub-section (1) of section 86;
  66.  
  
    "State
  
  Load Despatch Centre" means the centre established under sub-section (1)
  
  of section 31;
  67.  
  
    "State
  
  Transmission Utility" means the Board or the Government company specified
  
  as such by the State Government under sub-section (1) of section 39;
  68.  
  
    "street"
  
  includes any way, road, lane, square, court, alley, passage or open space,
  
  whether a thoroughfare or not, over which the public have a right of way and
  
  also the roadway and footway over any public bridge or causeway;
  69.  
  
    "sub-station"
  
  means a station for transforming or converting electricity for the transmission
  
  or distribution thereof and includes transformers, converters, switch-gears,
  
  capacitors, synchronous condensers, structures, cable and other appurtenant
  
  equipment and any buildings used for that purpose and the site thereof;
  70.  
  
    "supply",
  
  in relation to electricity, means the sale of electricity to a licensee or
  
  consumer;
  71.  
  
    "trading"
  
  means purchase of electricity for resale thereof and the expression
  
  "trade" shall be construed accordingly;
  72.  
  
    "transmission
  
  lines" means all high pressure cables and overhead lines (not being an
  
  essential part of the distribution system of a licensee) transmitting
  
  electricity from a generating station to another generating station or a
  
  sub-station, together with any step-up and step-down transformers, switch-gear
  
  and other works necessary to and used for the control of such cables or
  
  overhead lines, and such buildings or part thereof as may be required to
  
  accommodate such transformers, switchgear and other works;
  73.  
  
    "transmission
  
  licensee" means a licensee authorised to establish or operate transmission
  
  lines;
  74.  
  
    "transmit"
  
  means conveyance of electricity by means of transmission lines and the
  
  expression "transmission" shall be construed accordingly;
  75.  
  
    "utility"
  
  means the electric lines or electrical plant, and includes all lands,
  
  buildings, works and materials attached thereto belonging to any person acting
  
  as a generating company or licensee under the provisions of this Act;
  76.  
  
    "wheeling"
  
  means the operation whereby the distribution system and associated facilities
  
  of a transmission licensee or distribution licensee, as the case may be, are
  
  used by another person for the conveyance of electricity on payment of charges
  
  to be determined under section 62;
  77.  
  
    "works"
  
  includes electric line, and any building, plant, machinery, apparatus and any
  
  other thing of whatever description required to transmit, distribute or supply
  
  electricity to the public and to carry into effect the objects of a licence or
  
  sanction granted under this Act or any other law for the time being in force.