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MOEA: Taipei tech park outage not due to power shortage
Discover the latest on Taipei’s unexpected power outage in Neihu Technology Park, not linked to power shortages, as Minister Kuo Jyh-Huei clarifies. Learn about the measures Taiwan is taking to ensure power stability amid concerns over the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant’s shutdown.
2024/06/19 10:28
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Taipower to receive NT$100B subsidy amid financial crisis
The Executive Yuan of Taiwan approves an additional NT$100 billion budget for 2024 to support Taipower in offsetting electricity costs, addressing the company’s financial challenges and the impact of global events on fuel prices. The proposal, aimed at reducing Taipower’s projected deficit, now awaits Legislative Yuan review.
2024/05/03 17:30
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Taipower struggles with losses amid calls for reform
National Audit Office Auditor-General Chen Jui-min calls on Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) to enhance management and boost revenue amid consecutive losses. Chen emphasizes the need for electricity price adjustments and debt interest reduction. Kuomintang Legislator Lin Ssu-ming questions Taipower’s deficits and government subsidies, urging a review of energy policy. Chen confirms NT$100 billion subsidy and stresses the importance of green energy for profit sustainability.
2024/04/02 18:13
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Economic minister confirms electricity rate adjustments
Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua discusses electricity rate adjustments in Taiwan, emphasizing the impact on household usage below 330 kilowatt hours. Kuomintang Legislator Yang Chiung-ying opposes price hikes, proposing solutions to address citizen hardships amid inflation. Wang highlights considerations for nuclear power and renewable energy costs, amidst concerns over safety regulations and nuclear waste. Yang challenges Taipower’s deficits and criticizes passing on costs to residents through price increases.
2024/03/07 17:23
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Taipower at risk of financial crisis without government aid
Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) faces a potential financial crisis by year-end without government aid or electricity price hikes, warned Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua. An upcoming electricity price review may see rates for ultra-high-voltage users surge by over 10%. Wang emphasizes the need for discussion in the committee meeting and assures efforts to minimize impacts on the public. Taipower’s efficient management has helped curb price spikes and inflation, with plans in place for financial support and program development. Current electricity costs for major consumers stand at around NT$1.63, while Taipower’s generation cost, pre-tax, is NT$3.93, expected to surpass NT$4 post-tax.
2024/02/20 13:10
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Taiwan’s MOEA to aid Taipower’s budget crisis
The Minister of Economic Affairs, Wang Mei-hua, plans to help Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) seek budgetary support from the Executive Yuan to alleviate its financial distress. Taipower reached out to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) for assistance, citing escalating international fuel prices caused by the Russia-Ukraine war. Other global power companies, such as Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), and Électricité de France (EDF), have already experienced significant price hikes. Taipower’s rates are relatively low compared to the cost of power generation, resulting in policy-driven losses. As of 2023, Taipower has accumulated losses of NT$382.6 billion due to absorbing price increases to protect Taiwan from global inflation. The MOEA disclosed that Taipower and the CPC Corporation have discrepancies in predicting natural gas prices, leading Taipower to observe international coal prices for cost estimates in 2024. While mitigating Taipower’s financial woes in the short term poses challenges, Wang aims to prevent further losses. The MOEA will assist Taipower in lobbying the government for budget support once financial situation estimates are finalized. The decision to adjust electricity prices will be made by the Electricity Price Review Committee.
2024/01/23 13:09
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Overseas community emphasizes voting’s role in democracy
The San Francisco overseas Chinese community hosted a New Year flag-raising ceremony, with Fremont Mayor Lily Mei encouraging the next generation to run for office and speak out for Asians. Mei also urged the community to vote robustly in the upcoming T U.S.-Taiwan relations and reminded them not to underestimate individual power. Director-General Scott Lai of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco reviewed Taiwan’s accomplishments last year, highlighting its rise in various indices, ranking second in freedom in Asia and sixth in global competitiveness. Lai also noted the meeting between Morris Chang, founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), and key U.S. officials at the 2023 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, praising it as a symbol of U.S. executive branch support for Taiwan. However, Lai acknowledged challenges lie ahead for Taiwan, particularly in its tourism, sightseeing, and restaurant industries’ recovery, as well as social issues such as declining birthrates and wealth disparity. Lai assured that the government would take a more proactive and responsible stance to make positive changes felt by the public.
2024/01/02 16:00
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KMT’s Hou Yu-ih questions DPP’s energy policies
Kuomintang (KMT) presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih raises questions about Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Lai Ching-te’s energy policy during a policy presentation. Hou specifically probes Lai’s stance on the "nuclear-free homeland" policy and his attitude toward nuclear power generation. Hou questions Lai’s viewpoints, suggesting that if Lai believes "nuclear units cannot be stopped," it implies Taiwan’s nuclear power plants may need to extend their lifespan. Hou also criticizes Lai’s "clean coal" concept and its potential impact on the prevalence of pulmonary adenocarcinoma in Taiwan. Furthermore, Hou criticizes the DPP’s goal of "net-zero carbon emissions," arguing that even the announced 2030 target of reducing carbon emissions by 24% to 25% is unattainable and out of step with global trends.
2023/12/26 17:24
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Greenpeace protests at Taiwan parties’ HQs for green energy
Greenpeace stages dramatic protests at the national campaign headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang, and Taiwan People’s Party presidential candidates, symbolizing Taiwan’s "lack of green electricity." Activists construct towering billboards to voice concerns about Taiwan’s environmental and economic crises due to inadequate green energy development. Greenpeace urges all candidates to commit to enhancing green energy targets for 2030. Lai Ching-te, the DPP candidate, references COP28’s decision and President Tsai Ing-wen’s efforts to complete the first phase of the energy transition. Taiwan’s green electricity supply now exceeds 10 percent, surpassing nuclear power generation.
2023/12/20 19:03
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Central Taiwan groups rally for coal-free future
Join the rally against air pollution and global warming in Taichung, central Taiwan on December 24. Environmental organizations are demanding a coal-free central Taiwan and urging Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen to take immediate action to phase out coal at the Taichung Power Plant by 2026. Central Taiwan is responsible for over 60% of the nation’s coal-fired power generation, causing long-term pollution. The International Energy Agency advises developed countries to achieve coal phase-out by 2030 to control temperature rise within 1.5 degrees Celsius. Taiwan’s current energy policy does not align with international trends, with proposed energy-use proportion still including 14 to 20% coal by 2030. However, data from the Ministry of Economic Affairs suggests that increased generation from natural gas and renewable sources can allow for a full coal phase-out at Taichung Power Plant by 2026, a decade earlier than Taipower’s claim. Local governments in central Taiwan are criticized for insufficient efforts to reduce coal use, and residents are urged not to wait another 12 years for a healthier environment.
2023/12/19 15:28
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Taiwan eyes future in nuclear tech, open to reactors
Taiwan’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Wang Mei-hua, has announced that Taiwan will closely monitor the development of new nuclear technologies, such as small modular reactors and fusion power, and remain open to their adoption. Premier Chen Chien-jen has highlighted that addressing the challenges surrounding nuclear waste from fusion technology could significantly increase societal support for the technology. This declaration comes as over 20 countries, including the United States and Japan, proposed at the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) to triple global nuclear power capacity by 2050. Additionally, nearly 120 countries committed to tripling renewable energy generation internationally within the next seven years. At COP28, 22 countries advocated for nuclear energy, focusing on small modular reactors and nuclear fusion technology, as well as securing international financial support for their development. These discussions at COP28 reflect a growing interest in diverse and innovative approaches to addressing climate change and powering the future.
2023/12/06 14:56