Dozens of solar power generation systems outfitters yesterday staged a protest outside the Executive Yuan in Taipei, petitioning for the government to take action to help them, following a recent reversal in procurement policy on solar power, which they will say will undermine the development of renewable energy.
Led by Life Lai (賴增華), head of the Solar Power Generation System Association, the protesters smashed a solar panel to express their anger over the policy announced on Friday last week, that the wholesale price to be paid for power generated by solar projects will be decided on the date investors’ solar power facilities are completed.
Previously, the wholesale price was decided on the date when the contract was signed.
PHOTO: CNA
The announcement came out of the blue as the Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs reassured solar energy investors in October that the wholesale price determined on the date when the contract was signed would remain unchanged for 20 years.
According to the bureau, in light of the decreasing cost of solar equipment, state-owned Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) will lower its solar power procurement price next year to NT$9.6 per million kilowatts, from between NT$11 and NT$13 per million kilowatt this year.
The bureau said the new purchase price will be applied to solar projects that have not been completed by the end of this year, regardless of any contracts signed.
Cheng Po-wen (鄭博文), an investor, said the new policy means it will take him four more years to recover the cost of his investment of NT$1.28 million (US$43,100).
To compensate them for losses caused by the policy reversal, investors demanded the government grant solar investors a grace period of 30 to 60 days with regards the current purchase price.
On Monday, Pintung County Commissioner Tsao Chi-hung (曹啟鴻) also lashed out at the policy change as about 100 land owners whose farms were severely damaged by Typhoon Morakot last year decided to install solar panels at his encouragement.
The ministry has said the policy change was aimed at preventing rent-seeking behavior as some investors purposely delayed investments after contracts were signed.
“The accusation was not true, and the government should not treat its people like thieves,” Lai said.
It was not investors’ rent--seeking that resulted in procrastination, but the complicated application procedures they had to wade through in complying with rules on the government purchase of solar power, Lai said.
“The policy reversal not only betrayed the trust of the people but has also adversely affected the development of green energy,” Lai said
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
RSS