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.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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