On the afternoon of July 24 in Hanoi, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) held an online meeting with provincial and municipal Departments of Industry and Trade to disseminate regulations and provide guidance on planning adjustments and updates under Decree No.272/2026/ND-CP, as well as on the adjustment and supplementation of planning schemes in accordance with regulations.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hoang Long chaired the meeting and delivered directive remarks. Attending in person were representatives of the leadership of the Electricity Authority of Vietnam, the National Power System and Market Operation Company Limited (NSMO), and the Institute of Energy. Representatives of Departments of Industry and Trade from provinces and cities nationwide joined online.

The meeting sought to ensure a consistent approach to tasks currently being undertaken in the field of power development planning, including: (i) planning adjustments and updates under Resolution No.253/2025/QH15 and Decree No.272/2026/ND-CP; and (ii) the review, adjustment and supplementation of planning schemes.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Long said that recent implementation in several localities showed that local authorities remained uncertain and sometimes confused when simultaneously carrying out planning adjustments and updates under Resolution No.253/2025/QH15 and Decree No.272/2026/ND-CP, while also reviewing and assessing the national power development plan for adjustment and supplementation in accordance with the Law on Planning.

“Some proposals submitted by localities have yet to clearly determine whether they constitute applications for planning adjustments and updates under the special mechanism provided for in Resolution No.253/2025/QH15 and Decree No.272/2026/ND-CP, or information intended to support the research and preparation of adjustments and supplements to planning schemes under planning legislation. Such confusion may result in dossiers being prepared inconsistently with requirements or submitted to the wrong competent authority, thereby prolonging processing times and creating inaccurate interpretations of the legal status of projects,” Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Long stressed.

Reporting at the meeting, a representative of the Electricity Authority said that planning adjustments and updates under Resolution No.253/2025/QH15 and Decree No.272/2026/ND-CP, and the review, adjustment and supplementation of planning schemes under the Law on Planning, were two fundamentally different processes in terms of their nature, scope, required dossiers, procedures, competent authorities and legal validity.

On that basis, the Electricity Authority of Vietnam requested localities to carefully examine relevant legal provisions to determine which form of adjustment applied in each case, prepare the appropriate dossiers and submit detailed reports to the MoIT for consideration of planning adjustments and updates, or proposals for planning adjustments and supplements in accordance with planning legislation. The MoIT will continue coordinating with and guiding localities throughout the implementation process to ensure compliance with the law, alignment with socioeconomic development requirements, national energy security and the safe operation of the national power system.

During the discussion, representatives of provincial and municipal Departments of Industry and Trade frankly highlighted difficulties and obstacles encountered in advisory and management work. Localities also proposed adding several urgently needed power generation and grid projects to meet rising demand at the local level. At the same time, they asked the MoIT to provide further explanations and guidance on dossier preparation requirements and to clarify several provisions of the Resolution in order to facilitate implementation.

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Long emphasised that ensuring national energy security was an extremely urgent matter and a fundamental prerequisite for achieving double-digit economic growth. In recent times, the Politburo, the Party Central Committee and the Government have issued close and resolute directions on safeguarding energy security, particularly in relation to investment in the construction of power generation and grid projects.

To address existing obstacles, the MoIT has consistently worked alongside localities and provided them with detailed guidance. When difficulties arise during implementation, local authorities should proactively consult the Electricity Authority so that the two sides can coordinate in resolving them. After six months of implementation, the Ministry will conduct a preliminary review and assessment to support the continued formulation of new mechanisms suited to practical requirements.

The Ministry also requested localities to urgently review all documents proposing planning adjustments and updates. In particular, localities that submitted official documents before July 4, 2026, prior to the promulgation of Decree No.272/2026/ND-CP, must promptly review their submissions and send new documents to ensure consistency in the legal basis under the decree.

The implementation of Resolution No.253/2025/QH15 and Decree No.272/2026/ND-CP is an urgent task aimed at removing legal barriers facing local power generation and grid projects. The MoIT requested provincial and municipal Departments of Industry and Trade to promptly advise local authorities on reviewing and completing proposal dossiers in accordance with regulations, while coordinating closely with the Electricity Authority of Vietnam to address emerging difficulties in a timely manner, with the determination to safeguard national energy security.