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.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
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