The Electricity & Cogeneration Regulatory Authority (ECRA) posted recently in its official site an annual report of the activities and its goals and objectives. It is a financially and administratively independent Saudi organization, which regulates the electricity and water desalination industry in Saudi Arabia to ensure provision of adequate, high quality, and reliable services at reasonable prices. Its mission is to develop and pursue a regulatory framework, in accordance with government laws, regulations, policies, and standards, as well as international best practices, in order to guarantee the provision of safe, reliable, reasonably priced and efficient electric power and desalinated water to the consumers of Saudi Arabia. The Authority was formed on 27/8/1422AH (13 November 2001) by Council of Ministers Decision No. 236, which defined its responsibilities as regulation of the electricity service. On 17/5/1425AH (5 July 2004) the Council of Ministers, by Decision Number 163, assigned to the Authority the additional responsibility of regulating cogeneration activities. Consequently the Authority's name was revised to the current appellation of “Electricity & Cogeneration Regulatory Authority” (ECRA). Recently, pursuant to Council of Ministers Decision Number 154 of 4/5/1428AH (21 May 2007) a revised Charter for ECRA was issued. The revised Charter incorporates within the purview of ECRA, regulation of not only electricity and cogeneration, but also water desalination, its transportation to the points of distribution, and trading in desalinated water, however it is produced. --MORE
