Law of Georgia on Energy and Water Supply (No. 5646-RS of 2019)

This Law creates a general legislative framework for the production, transit, distribution, supply and trade in the area of electricity, and transit, distribution, supply, storage and trade in the area of natural gas in order to support a creation, opening, developing and integrating of transparent and competitive electricity and natural gas markets. This Law also regulates water supply and creates a general legislative framework for the legal relations in connection with water supply. The Law consists of 41 chapters: Scope of application, purpose and objectives of the Law (I); Definitions (II); Regulation of energy-related activities (III); Organization of energy-related activities (IV); Authorization of energy-related and water supply-related activities (V); Status and activities of the regulatory Commission (VI); Objectives, duties and regulatory authority of the Commission (VII); Electricity production (VIII); Natural gas production (IX); Status and name of the transmission system operator (X); Separation of the transmission system operator (XI); Certification of the transmission system operator (XII); Transmission system operator (XIII); Operation and management of electricity transmission system (XIV); Operation and management of natural gas transmission system (XV); Status, authorization and separation of an operator of a distribution system (XVI); Functions of an operator of a distribution system (XVII); Operation and management of a distribution system (XVIII); Authorization and separation of an operator of a natural gas storage system (XIX); Functions of an operator of a natural gas storage system (XX); Operation and management of a natural gas storage system (XXI); Authorization and functions of an operator of a liquified natural gas system (XXII); Operation and management of equipment for liquified natural gas (XXIII); Compatibility of systems (XXIV); New infrastructure (XXV); Organizion of the supply (XXVI); Supplying in a form of a public service (XXVII); Status and protection of end users (XXVIII); Opening and functioning of the electricity market (XXIX); Organization of the electricity market (XXX); Organization of the natural gas market (XXXI); Protection of safety in electricity and natural gas supply (XXXII); Safety in supplying electricity (XXXIII); Safety in supplying natural gas (XXXIV); Organization and regulation of water supply (XXXV); Separation and access to reports (XXXVI); Providing information and confidentiality (XXXVII); Administrative penalty (XXXVIII); Dispute resolution and appealing a decision of the Commission (XXXIX); Transitional provisions (XL); and Final provisions (XLI). The supplier shall ensure that information related to transactions carried out with electricity or natural gas derivatives within the framework of supply agreements concluded with traders, transmission and distribution system operators and, where applicable, operators of natural gas storage and liquefied natural gas systems, is stored for a period of at least 5 years and made available to state bodies, including the Commission and the Competition and Consumer Protection Agency, as well as the Secretariat of the Energy Union. For the purpose of protecting vulnerable consumers, state and municipal bodies, in consultation with the Commission and other interested parties, shall develop special programs/measures/benefits to ensure the satisfaction of demand for electricity and natural gas and/or to facilitate the increase in availability, and shall determine the relevant vulnerable consumers benefiting from the aforementioned programs/measures/benefits. An electricity transmission license, an electricity distribution license, a natural gas transmission license, a natural gas distribution license, a water supply license shall grant the relevant licensee the exclusive right to carry out activities within the geographical, administrative or other area specified by the license. Only one relevant activity license shall be issued for the specified activity in one geographical, administrative or other area specified by the Commission.