The government’s hope to lay down plans for the nation’s energy future during the two-day National Energy Conference, which concluded yesterday, boiled down to wishful thinking as discussions between advocates and opponents of nuclear energy degenerated into pointless bickering, with participants on both sides exchanging disparate views on the danger of nuclear waste and the development of renewable energy sources.
Conclusions reached were largely confined to general statements on stepping up the nation’s commitment to carbon reduction and promoting sustainability among industries.
The proposal to set up solar panels on buildings in Greater Kaohsiung as part of the Million Rooftop PVs initiative developed by President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration to help the nation boost the generation capacity of solar power to 3,100 megawatts met with objections from several participants, who cited concern over the effects such a measure would have on the sturdiness of structures and what they said were exorbitant price hikes in people’s utility bills.
National Policy Foundation assistant researcher Tang Hui-ling (唐慧琳) said that photovoltaic electricity costs NT$7 to NT$9 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which is much higher than the current average of about NT$3 per kWh.
Consequently, the proposal was set aside.
The participants agreed that the installment of rooftop solar panels should be carried out gradually, while large-scale land-based deployment should only be commenced when the difference between the price of photovoltaic energy and the current electricity price drops below 33 percentage points.
Due to strong protests from anti-nuclear participants, who cited concern over the possibility of misleading information on nuclear power being distributed, a proposal to establish a platform to disseminate information on nuclear energy among the public was listed as a footnote, meaning that the plan will not be conducted.
At the request of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇), who quoted Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), a footnote said: “The government should inform the people that it is unable to conduct rescue missions in the case of a nuclear meltdown.”
Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) said Taiwan is blessed with an abundance of renewable sources, but the development of these sources will depend on the government’s commitment.
He said Tainan has about 2,181 hours of sunlight and a generation capacity of more than 1,300kWh of solar power every year.
He added that the city generates more than 17 million kwh of electricity every year, which is the equivalent of 42 percent of the hydroelectricity produced by the Tsengwen Reservoir.
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