The UAE has ratified a law that could expand the use of renewable energy and make the distribution of electricity in urban areas easier and more efficient. Under the new law, anyone wishing to connect a ‘distributed electricity power plant’ to the grid can do so after obtaining prior approval from regulators, according to an Energy and Infrastructure Ministry statement on Monday.

SOUND SMART- Distributed renewable energy refers to electricity sources operating at or near the structure(s) it will power. And it can be just about anything, in theory: solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal, hydro, biogas, and energy storage among others, according to the Handbook of Distributed Generation (pdf).

What this means for renewable energy providers: Connecting these energy sources to the electric grid can help scale their use and provide more stability to the grid. Allowing distributed electricity on the grid’s lower voltage lines will expand the distribution of renewable energy to more customers and reduce electricity loss in the transmission lines. It also opens up geographically where renewable energy power plants can be set up.

There’s more, but very little detail is out there: While the Energy Ministry statement is scant on details and we have yet to find a copy of the legislation floating online, previous coverage by local media indicates that the law also contains penalties for violations of the law.

Also unclear: The feed-in tariff, who’s granting the approvals, and what the criteria or minimum size might be.

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