Greenpeace on Tuesday called for the near monopolization of domestic renewable energy supply by Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) to be replaced by a framework that better supports the self-generation of green electricity by private enterprises.
Greenpeace made the recommendation in its annual report on RE10x10, an initiative launched by the non-governmental organization in 2020 advocating for Taiwanese enterprises to reach 10 percent green electricity use by 2025, and 100 percent by 2050.
Describing green electricity as in “dire short supply,” the report said that Taipower currently purchases about 95 percent of the renewable energy generated in Taiwan under its Feed-in-Tariff program, a long-term contract initially offered to renewable energy companies to insure them against market volatility.
Photo: Chen Chia-yi, Taipei Times
As of November last year, the total amount of renewable energy generated in the nation was 22.96 billion kilowatt-hours, but only 1.283 million T-Rec certificates — Taiwan’s renewable energy certificate — were issued, Greenpeace’s Lydia Fang (方君維) said.
A certificate is equivalent to 1,000 kilowatt-hours.
That means that only about 5 percent of the renewable energy generated was on the market for enterprises to purchase, Fang said, adding that about 80 percent of the remainder was purchased by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
Fang said Greenpeace advises the government to help mediate between providers, electricity-intensive enterprises that are willing to set up green electricity facilities for their own use and those enterprises that have experience installing renewable energy facilities.
Green electricity can be obtained in three ways — direct supply from renewable energy-generating companies, having green energy generated by renewable energy companies via Taipower’s distribution system or T-Rec purchasing.
New ways have been developed throughout the renewable energy market, such as setting up green energy facilities such as solar panels or investing in facilities installed outside a company, such as a school, and purchasing the electricity generated, Fang said.
The government therefore has a role to play in offering a mediation platform to these parties — enterprises with green energy needs, renewable energy companies and those who have the space to facilitate production of green electricity needed by Taiwanese companies, Fang said.
There is a shortage of green energy supply in Taiwan rendering it extremely difficult for enterprises to obtain green electricity, Fang said.
The report says that 18 of the 102 companies that have signed up to the RE10x10 pledge had successfully reached 10 percent green electricity use, with 11 surpassing 20 percent.
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