Data-center law in Cambodia

National jurisdiction · as of 2026-09-07

Cambodia's core electricity-sector statute is the Law on Electricity of the Kingdom of Cambodia (2001), which conditions operating as an electric power utility, and generating, transmitting, dispatching, distributing, or selling electricity in bulk or at retail, on a license issued by the Electricity Authority of Cambodia.

The generation-license requirement reaches only generation for sale; the Law's own text limits a Generation Licensee's right to facilities generating electricity for sale and not solely for the licensee's own consumption, so a facility that self-generates power solely for its own use falls outside that particular licensing duty.

Operating without the license the Law requires draws a monetary penalty of KHR 400,000 to KHR 4,000,000 per day, and theft, tampering with, or willfully damaging power-supply installations is a separate criminal offense punished by a fine of KHR 4,000,000 to KHR 40,000,000 or imprisonment from one to three years, or both.

Instruments on record

1 instrument on record, grouped by the family of approval each one governs.

Energy and grid

What authorizations govern grid connection and onsite generation?

Electricity Law, licensing and penalties

In force

Law on Electricity of the Kingdom of Cambodia (2001), Arts. 7, 29, 30, 41, 64, 67, 69

Effective 2001-02-02 · Applies to both

Article 41 bars any person from operating as an electric power utility or supplying electric power services except under a valid license issued by the Electricity Authority of Cambodia, and Article 29 lists eight license types, including Generation, Transmission, Dispatch, Distribution, Bulk Sale, and Retail licenses, issued under the Authority's Article 7(a) power.

Article 30 grants a Generation Licensee the right to own, operate, and control generation facilities for generating electricity for sale, and states that right is not for generation solely for the licensee's own consumption, so on-site generation used only to supply the generator's own load falls outside the Generation License requirement as the Article defines it.

Article 67 sets a monetary penalty of KHR 400,000 to KHR 4,000,000 per day for any person providing electric power services without the required license, and Article 64 sets the same per-day range for a licensee's own violation of license conditions.

Article 69 separately makes theft of, tampering with, or willful damage to a power-supply installation, facility, or equipment a criminal offense, punished by a fine of KHR 4,000,000 to KHR 40,000,000 or imprisonment from one to three years, or both. The Preah Reach Kram promulgating the Law is dated February 2, 2001, and Article 79 states the Law is promulgated as urgent.

Source: Full text of law