The Taipei City Government yesterday announced that it has become the first local government to receive a Renewable Energy Certificate from the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Preparatory Office of National Renewable Energy Certification Center.
The office was launched on April 21 under the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection to increase the nation’s total power generation surplus to above 20 percent by 2025, to accelerate the development of the “green” energy sector and to promote electricity market liberalization.
The first of 268 renewable energy certificates produced by the office, each for 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity produced by renewable resources, was given out on May 19.
Photo: CNA, courtesy of the Taipei Department of Economic Development
The Taipei Department of Economic Development said a problem with renewable energy usage is distinguishing whether the power is actually generated by renewable resources, so the city government established a certification and traceability mechanism to ensure the quality of the “green” power it purchases.
Department Commissioner Lin Chung-chieh (林崇傑) said that in a bid to comply with the office’s certification system and obtain renewable energy certificates, the city government made an inventory of renewable energy equipment installed in public facilities and school campuses, then applied for the certificates.
Three certificates were given to Nanmen Market, and the Taipei Expo Park’s Pavilion of Dreams and Pavilion of the Future, Lin said.
He said the city government hopes that by taking the lead in obtaining the certificates it can accelerate the development of the capital’s “green” energy sector.
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