The nation’s energy policy has come under extra scrutiny in the past few months as some presidential candidates have concentrated their efforts on criticizing “exploding” environmental damage caused by wind turbines and solar panels without checking any facts. Baseless accusations have delayed new clean energy installations and misled the public, potentially fueling serious concern about green energy installations and hindering Taiwan’s shift to renewable energy sources.
The nation has set a goal of boosting green energy to about 15.5 percent of total energy consumption by 2025, a revision from an earlier 20 percent due to bad weather and slower-than-expected installation of solar panels and wind turbines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As world leaders strive to collaborate to fight worsening climate change, Taiwan’s presidential candidates should lay out their energy policies and tell voters how they plan to accelerate the nation’s energy transition to greener energy sources. It is unwise to spread disinformation that the installation of solar power cells or wind turbines has contaminated farms and displaced fishers.
Taiwan People’s Party Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Sunday wrote on Facebook that, if elected, he would make every effort to solve environmental issues faced by Changhua County residents since wind turbines were set up in the intertidal zone near the county’s coastline.
However, not a single wind turbine was placed in the intertidal zone as Ko claimed. A total of 688 wind turbines have been installed around Taiwan since 2000, including 281 offshore wind turbines, Ministry of Economic Affairs data show. None of those turbines were erected in intertidal areas, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday. To minimize environmental impacts, wind farm developers are prohibited from installing turbines in protected coastal areas or estuaries. Rules and regulations state that offshore wind turbines have to be installed in the ocean at a depth of more than 20m, the ministry said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) on Monday last week visited Tainan County’s Chiku Township (七股), claiming that farmers and fish farm operators lost their jobs as solar farms have overtaken vegetable and fish farms, devastating the county’s ecosystem. Hou also said that installing solar panels on farms has led to temperature rises in Taiwan, as the panels reflect sunlight. Solar panels actually absorb and convert sunlight into electricity, rather than reflect it.
Aside from Hou and Ko, disinformation about solar and wind power energy is widespread, fueling concern about renewable energy safety. That is not to mention the media reports on scandals linked to local government officials receiving kickbacks for granting subsidies for solar power projects.
All these unfounded accusations and reports have slowed the country’s progress toward producing greener energy. Local solar module manufacturers and solar farm project developers said it took much longer for them to receive government approval to build new solar farms due to political factors, as the government aimed to avoid being unfairly criticized by presidential candidates from opposition parties. The opposition parties have claimed that solar companies are “being escorted” by the government.
This year has been particularly tough for the local solar industry, leaving some firms in the red as weak macroeconomic and political factors dampen demand. Some developers have suspended new solar farm construction plans, even though they have received government approval. Rapid development of green energy in Taiwan has indeed caused problems and issues. The government should formulate new regulations to fix those problems and educate the public. During this energy transformation phase, presidential candidates should not sacrifice the nation’s green energy development for a win at the ballot box.
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