Germany's experience in introducing legislation to promote the use of renewable energy deserves to be studied by Taiwan, which is over-dependent on imported sources of energy, lawmakers said yesterday.
During a press conference at the Legislative Yuan, the lawmakers underlined the urgency of Taiwan's need to develop renewable sources of energy.
"The development of renewable energy-related technologies deserves to be promoted in the near future because sources of fossil fuels are scarce in this country," DPP Legislator Lai Chin-lin (
When the DPP came to power three years ago, years of environmental debate came to a head when the government decided to scrap the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. Since being persuaded to revive the plant, the government has promoted renewable energy in a bid to improve Taiwan's international competitiveness.
According to the Energy Commission under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, about 10 percent of Taiwan's energy could come from renewable sources by 2020 if laws awaiting approval in the Legislative Yuan are passed.
Energy-related laws under review in the legislature include Subsidy Regulations for Developing Renewable Energy (
Lai yesterday invited Hans-Josef Fell, a German Green Party legislator who has long worked to promote renewable energy worldwide, to the Legislative Yuan to give an overview of Germany's experience in passing laws to promote renewable energy.
In Germany, the Electricity Feed Law had since 1991 regulated the utility companies' use of electricity from renewable sources by introducing, among other things, fixed concessionary charges as incentives.
In 2000, the law was replaced by the even more radical Renewable Energy Law (REG). The REG now serves as the basis for the implementation of renewable energy technologies in Germany. It regulates the purchase of energy that has been produced exclusively from renewable sources. This is controlled by power companies that operate grids for general electricity usage.
According to Fell, key factors leading to the successful introduction of German renewable energy legislation included well-designed regulations on compulsory purchases and guarantees of fixed prices for two decades for electricity converted from renewable energy sources, with prices varying depending on the source of renewable energy.
According to Fell, Germany introduced the legislation due to environmental concerns and because of the country's limited supply of fossil fuels.
As a result of the measures, Fell said, more than 100,000 job opportunities were created in Germany's renewable energy-related industries in the last decade.
Having championed the cause of renewable energies for decades, Fell said that he was glad to see that Taiwan plans to pass laws to promote renewable energy.
"Germany is willing to offer Taiwan relevant information, in assisting the legislature to pass laws," Fell said.
Fell said that lawmakers should strive both to educate the public about the risks of reliance on fossil fuels and persuade the government to embrace new, global trends in the energy sector.
To explore possible cooperation between the government and Germany's Green Party on energy issues, Minister without Portfolio Yeh Jiunn-rong (
Yeh said the government hopes to turn Taiwan into a nuclear-free country by mothballing the three operational nuclear power plants and solving Taiwan's radioactive waste-management problems.
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
Passengers on Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) will be required to use headphones and make phone calls in gangways under new “quiet travel” rules starting Sept. 22. THSR Chairman Shih Che (史哲) told media that THSR will run a three-month promotional campaign to ensure widespread adoption of the new rules. Those repeatedly ignoring the guidance face the potential termination of their transport contract, which can result in them getting escorted off the train, according to THSR. Shih shared his hope to cultivate an environment conducive to rest and reading for the train’s passengers, stating that these changes aim to “promote self-discipline” among passengers
RSS