The government will push for the development and application of clean, recycled energy to alleviate Taiwan's reliance on fossil fuels, 98 percent of which are imported from abroad, Bureau of Energy Chairman Yeh Hui-ching (
The Executive Yuan plans to allocate NT$3 billion (US$96.77 million) each year beginning in fiscal year 2006 to finance the research, development and application of clean, recycled energy, which includes solar power, biomass energy, wind power and marine energy, Yeh said.
Yeh made the remarks during a speech on energy policy at the opening of the Academic Workshop on Energy Economics Across the Taiwan Strait sponsored by the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research.
Yeh said reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels is the only way to lessen the risks regarding import sources and price fluctuations.
Yeh said that since Taiwan's self-produced energy resources are scarce, the country's imports of fuels have increased noticeably over the past 20 years as the domestic economy has expanded, from 88.8 percent in 1984 to 97.9 percent last year.
In the same period, per capita electricity consumption also surged, from 2,595kwh in 1984 to 9,131kwh last year, marking a 3.52-fold increase, Yeh said.
One of the reasons why Taiwan's energy consumption has increased over the past 20 years is probably because energy prices have been relatively lower than most of the other major economies in Asia, Yeh said, adding that the lack of economic incentives to encourage energy conservation was another reason.
Pointing out that currently the country still lacks mandatory measures to reduce energy consumption while manufacturing industries requiring high amounts of energy remain the backbone of Taiwan's industrial sector, Yeh said the government and the private sector must work together to increase energy resources and promote conservation.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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