The Council for Economic Planning and Development yesterday approved a NT$8 billion (US$260.6 million) proposal to develop Penghu into the nation’s first low--carbon emissions county over next five years.
On completion of the project in 2015, renewable energy will account for 56 percent of the total energy supply in Penghu, generating more electricity than is used by the entire island. Carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 50 percent compared with 2005.
“Penghu has great potential for exploring renewable energy as it boasts abundant natural resources such as wind power, solar power and tidal power,” a council official told a media briefing, adding that wind power generation offers most economic value.
Over the next five years, Taiwan Power Co (台電) plans to install wind power facilities with a capacity of 32 megawatts (MW) while the Penghu government will develop a wind power capacity of 64mw.
Given the higher costs of solar power generation, the council said that only 1.5mw of solar power capacity will be installed on the island, mostly located at major spots such as Magong Airport.
The promotion of green transportation would also be important, the council official said. The government plans to substitute half of the 15,000 existing gasoline-powered scooters in Penghu with electric ones by 2015, the official said.
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