The Taiwan Renewable Energy Industry Promotion Association (
More than 200 representatives from industry, the academic community and the government attended the launching ceremony for the association yesterday.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The association's establishment comes as political figures are promising a host of ambitious moves to promote renewable energy and ensure sustainable development in Taiwan, including the revamping of energy policy.
Association chairman Chan Shih-hung (
At the ceremony, lawmakers and government officials vowed to promote renewable energy in a bid to improve Taiwan's international competitiveness.
New energy-related laws, such as Subsidy Regulations for Developing Renewable Energy (獎勵再生能源發展條例) and the Energy Conservation Law (節約能源法), are currently being reviewed by the legislature, DPP Legislator Lai Chin-lin (賴勁麟) said.
"Hopefully these new laws will be passed by the end of this year to form a legal basis for promoting renewable energy-related industries," said Lai, who is one of the association's founders.
Premier Yu Shyi-kun, who chairs the Cabinet's Council for Sustainable Development, said the council would assist industry in promoting renewable energy to not only commercialize products but to also explore markets overseas.
"Developing renewable-energy industries will be one of the key issues for the government to successfully turn Taiwan into a technological dreamland, a Green Silicon Island," Yu said.
According to the Cabinet, only 11 of the world's 136 countries have designate their heads of state or premiers to chair Cabinet-level councils for sustainable development and Taiwan is one of the 11.
Yu yesterday rode a green electric scooter powered by fuel cells, which uses hydrogen as its energy source and emits only water vapor.
Both scientists and developers believe that a cost-effective fuel cell would enable people to reduce emissions of CO2, a greenhouse gas.
Representatives of scooter producer Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies Ltd said that the highest speed for such a scooter might be 80kph when it is commercialized by 2004.
"Each metal hydride canister, which costs less than NT$30, can power the scooter for 30km," said Dephne Chueh (
After his experience riding the pollution-free vehicle, Premier Yu said the government would do its best to promote environmentally friendly products.
"To promote green products, we might adopt several strategies, such as offering subsidies and tax reductions," Yu said in response to a question from the Taipei Times.
Yu admitted that the government has not focused on this field enough in the past and would try to remedy the problem.
Industry representatives, meanwhile, said that current subsidies were too low to simulate demand and entice manufacturers to enter the market.
"Existing building codes must be revised to broaden markets for renewable-energy products," said James Kuo (
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it