"Electricity prices are a political issue and many people simply cannot accept any increases in price," Hwang said. "There are many different opinions about economics and the environment."
He said that because of these factors, government ministries faced many problems in raising prices and were limited in the measures they could take without provoking public ire.
However, there are signs that this could be changing. A poll last year conducted by Shih Hsin University showed that 89 percent of respondents said they supported the development of renewable energy sources despite higher costs. Eighty percent agreed that electricity prices should increase based on usage and that heavy electricity users should pay more per kWh. This signals that many people could be persuaded to accept an increase in price from the current NT$2.6 per kWh, one of the lowest among industrialized nations.
If the government can pass these hurdles, Taiwan's high-tech based economy gives it distinct advantages in the renewable energy sector, lawmakers said.
Some of the world's largest solar cell makers are located in Taiwan. Former premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) previously said that production in Taiwan's solar industry could reach NT$500 billion (US$15.6 billion) by 2012.
"Taiwan has the necessary technology and manufacturing capabilities, there has just been a lack of political [will]," Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) said.
She said the government's inaction had to be resolved.
"After all, [renewable energy] is a road that has to be walked, sooner or later," Cheng said.
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