Section 9 of the Electricity Act, Cap 131, requires any person intending to undertake generation, transmission, distribution, supply, system operation, cross-border trade in electricity, physical and financial trade in electricity and electrical installation activities to apply to EWURA for a licence, unless that person has been exempted by the Authority or the activity is exempted under section 20 (3) or (4) of the Act. Section 6 of the Act mandates the Authority to award licences to entities undertaking or seeking to undertake a licensed electrical activity.

Section 37 of the Electricity (Development of Small Power Projects) Rules 2020, Government Notice No. 491, published on 3^rd July 2020, requires small power producers, small power distributors, or very small power producers not to commence any commercial operation unless the project has been licensed or registered by the Authority, as appropriate.

EWURA issues a licence for electricity activities above 1 MW, and registration is for electricity activities below 1 MW. Likewise, electrical installation personnel are issued a licence after having completed studies. Licence applications are online through LOIS https://lois.ewura.go.tz/ewura/