Economics Minister Lee Chih-kung(Photo courtesy of CNA)
Taipei, June 8 (CNA) Economics Minister Lee Chih-kung said Thursday that the government is carrying out its plan for Taiwan to transition to greener power and has a feasible 10-year goal for a stable electricity supply to facilitate economic growth.
He was responding to concerns raised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei over instability of Taiwan's power supply during its period of transition away from nuclear power.
"The transition to a post-nuclear fuel mix is important, but it also has the potential to be economically disruptive if it is implemented too rigidly or quickly without a clear replacement plan that ensures continued cost-competitiveness, affordability, and reliability of the electricity supply," AmCham said in a white paper released Thursday.
However, Lee said that Taiwan has a clear road map for its energy supply transition, which includes foreign investment in renewable energy development to stabilize green power prices and provide adequate electricity.
The administration of President Tsai Ing-wen has set a goal of creating a nuclear-free homeland by 2025.
As part of the policy, a law was amended earlier this year to allow the supply of green energy directly to consumers and the restructuring of the state-owned Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower).
In keeping with the government's goal of phasing out nuclear power, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in May came up with a plan for electricity generation in Taiwan, saying that by 2025, it should be 50 percent from natural gas, 30 percent from coal, and 20 percent from renewable energy sources.
Lee said that the MOEA is carrying out the power supply transition plan at a stable pace and the road map for power supply over the next 10 years is feasible.
He said that while the electricity supply has been strained in recent days because of high demand during the hot weather, there is no need for electricity rationing in Taiwan at this point.
The MOEA has a plan deal with the increased power demand in summer, which includes encouraging the public to use less electricity during peak hours and increasing the supply of electricity from thermal power plants, Lee said.
If necessary, the MOEA will seek the government approval to resort to nuclear power in the short term, he said.
Meanwhile, Lin Chuan-neng, director general of the Bureau of Energy, said the MOEA is planning to hold a series of forums around the country, starting in late July, to seek public opinion on the implementation of Taiwan's green energy policy.
