Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday told business leaders that her team has prepared extensive energy polices, including the formation of a Cabinet task force to avert any power shortage risks over the next few years.
Tsai made the remarks at her first large-scale discussion with the nation’s six major industrial groups, including the Chinese National Federation of Industries (工總) and the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (電電公會).
Yesterday’s meeting was the first forum arranged by industrial groups to discuss insights about relations with China and economic policies with candidates of the three Jan. 16 presidential election tickets.
Photo: CNA
Of the 13 key issues of concern to local industries, how to maintain a stable supply of power topped the list, as Taiwan faces an imminent risk of power supply constraints next year, which could leave companies’ operations in dire condition.
Tsai said she did not expect the nation to suffer from power shortages over the next few years if state-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) can fully carry out its power capacity expansion plans.
A Taipower assessment said the nation could face power shortages, as the company estimates its reserve energy capacity could fall from an estimate of 10.4 percent this year to less than 10 percent of the nation’s needs at peak times next year.
“Our goal is to keep reserve energy capacity above 7.5 percent, which would help us avoid power rationing,” Tsai said.
It is critical for the government to manage power capacity, boost power efficiency, create “green” energy solutions and save energy, Tsai said.
If elected as the nation’s president, Tsai said that she plans to boost the government’s role in tackling energy problems by setting up a task force under the Cabinet.
The Environmental Protection Administration is currently in charge of drawing energy polices.
The task force would be responsible for making energy policies on cutting carbon emissions to meet global standards and reducing energy consumption during peak hours in summer, Tsai said.
The US reduced electricity consumption by 9.2 percent after it, in 2013, implemented electricity rates that favor energy use during off-peak hours and plans to further reduce power consumption by 20 percent by 2020, Tsai said.
The specially designated panel would be in charge of promoting “green” energy, such as solar power; liberalizing the electricity sector; and saving energy, she added.
Expanding the use of smart meters from industrial users to common households and increasing use of energy-efficient equipment and lighting would also be on her agenda, Tsai said.
Talking about her policies on cross-strait relations, Tsai said that she would keep “stable” ties with China.
“Maintaining the ‘status quo’ is my primary and most important direction,” Tsai said.
Taiwan is a democratic nation, Tsai said, adding that she would be following the public’s will by maintaining the “status quo,” without blending any political party’s ideology.
When tackling cross-strait issues, “we will try not to provoke [China]. We will try to communicate with [China]. We do not expect to see anything unexpected. We want to keep relations stable,” Tsai said.
Super Typhoon Kong-rey is the largest cyclone to impact Taiwan in 27 years, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Kong-rey’s radius of maximum wind (RMW) — the distance between the center of a cyclone and its band of strongest winds — has expanded to 320km, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said. The last time a typhoon of comparable strength with an RMW larger than 300km made landfall in Taiwan was Typhoon Herb in 1996, he said. Herb made landfall between Keelung and Suao (蘇澳) in Yilan County with an RMW of 350km, Chang said. The weather station in Alishan (阿里山) recorded 1.09m of
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The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday at 5:30pm issued a sea warning for Typhoon Kong-rey as the storm drew closer to the east coast. As of 8pm yesterday, the storm was 670km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and traveling northwest at 12kph to 16kph. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 162kph and gusts of up to 198kph, the CWA said. A land warning might be issued this morning for the storm, which is expected to have the strongest impact on Taiwan from tonight to early Friday morning, the agency said. Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島) canceled classes and work
KONG-REY: A woman was killed in a vehicle hit by a tree, while 205 people were injured as the storm moved across the nation and entered the Taiwan Strait Typhoon Kong-rey slammed into Taiwan yesterday as one of the biggest storms to hit the nation in decades, whipping up 10m waves, triggering floods and claiming at least one life. Kong-rey made landfall in Taitung County’s Chenggong Township (成功) at 1:40pm, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The typhoon — the first in Taiwan’s history to make landfall after mid-October — was moving north-northwest at 21kph when it hit land, CWA data showed. The fast-moving storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 184kph, with gusts of up to 227kph, CWA data showed. It was the same strength as Typhoon Gaemi, which was the most
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