The Cabinet has urged energy conservation during peak hours for the next two weeks after storms caused significant damage at a power facility, which could lead to supply shortages.
The collapse of a Ho-Ping Power Co transmission tower in Yilan County on Saturday caused by Typhoon Nesat and Tropical Storm Haitang has reduced electricity supply by 1.3 million kilowatts (kW), or about 4 percent of operating reserves, a significant loss for the nation’s already limited supply in summer.
Premier Lin Chuan (林全) asked industrial and household users to cut electricity usage for the next 15 days until the transmission tower is restored.
Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) is to raise industrial electricity rates during peak hours to reduce usage and divert supplies to general household and commercial users, Lin said.
“The current power supply is enough to scrape through, but there are many uncertainties because in summer, any power plant malfunction can cause a power shortage,” Lin said.
“This involves the government, private businesses and the public, and everyone is encouraged to help see the nation through the 15-day crisis period,” he said.
Air-conditioning in all government buildings is to be turned off between 1pm and 3pm daily for the next two weeks, and the public is urged to reduce power usage between 11am and 12pm and between 1pm and 2pm.
Meanwhile, Lin at the opening ceremony of the new headquarters of Nanya Technology Corp (南亞科技) — the nation’s biggest DRAM chip supplier — in New Taipei City, pledged to ease investment uncertainties by streamlining the environmental review process.
The lengthy environmental review process has been a concern for businesses making investment decisions. The Cabinet announced that all new development proposals backdated to May last year would be approved or rejected within three meetings, Lin said.
“No review should take six years without a definite result,” Lin said.
An environmental review panel in January ruled that three proposed expansion projects of the nation’s largest naphtha cracker in Yunlin County, operated by Formosa Plastics Group — the conglomerate that owns Nanya — had to be merged and undergo a new review process, despite projects going through a review process from between four and six years.
“The government is not worried about strict environmental requirements, but review uncertainties have to be minimized,” Lin said.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs would create a point of contact for each investment project involving more than NT$500 million (US$16.53 million) to streamline administrative processes, Lin added.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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