At the present, Taiwan relies mainly on thermal power generation for its power supply. In 2001, low-cost fuel, such as coal, provided 37.8 percent of the country's gross power generation.
Oil and gas accounted for 11.2 percent and 10.2 percent respectively.
At the Nuclear-Free Homeland Conference held last Friday in Taipei, topics ranging from how to actively increase energy efficiency, how to promote a free-market principle in the power industry and how to advocate the use of clean energy were discussed.
President Chen, whose economic policies have been criticized, now sees the shifting of the industrial base to a lower energy-intensive mode of production to increase the nation's overall energy efficiency as a good way of reviving the economy.
In Chen's opening speech at the conference, he said that energy-intensive industries account for more than 30 percent of all domestic energy consumption.
These industries, however, contribute only 5 percent to the nation's GDP.
Wang To-far said this scenario made it a challenge to promote renewable energy. For example, making laws take time.
Energy-related laws under review in the legislature include the proposed subsidy regulations for developing renewable energy and the energy conservation law.
Key factors considered in the new laws include well-designed regulations on compulsory purchases and guarantees of fixed prices for electricity converted from renewable energy sources, with prices varying depending on the source of renewable energy.
In addition, Wang To-far said, investors are facing diverse problems, such as land requisition, which involve too many Cabinet agencies.
"If clean energy investors need to face diverse agencies ranging from the Ministry of National Defense to the Council of Agriculture, how can we make things run smoothly?" he said., pointing out the urgency of establishing a Cabinet-level taskforce in charge of overall planning to promote renewable energy.
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