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 (
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
RSS