Large new buildings with a floor area of more than 1,000m² would be required to install rooftop solar panels starting Aug. 1 as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions and pollution, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Lai Chien-hsin (賴建信) said on Thursday.
The regulation is one of several diversified green energy measures for this year, which include expanding household rooftop solar installations to add 200 megawatts of capacity, Lai told the sixth National Climate Change Committee meeting.
The government also plans to increase offshore wind financing guarantees to NT$156 billion (US$4.94 billion), allocate NT$400 million for 20 community-scale disaster-resilient projects and set aside another NT$1.5 billion for industrial-scale energy storage, Lai said.
Photo: CNA
The emissions coefficient for power generation has continued to decline since recording 0.494 in 2023, reaching an estimated 0.459 last year, Lai said.
Meanwhile, air pollutant emissions from the Taichung and Hsingta power plants have dropped by 80 percent since 2016, he said.
Last year, Taiwan added 2.6 gigawatts (GW) of green energy capacity and achieved deep energy savings of 10.895 million kilowatt-hours, equivalent to the annual generation of two coal-fired units at Dalin Power Plant, while the nationwide installation of energy storage capacity reached 1.8GW, up 50 percent from 2024, he said.
As for carbon emissions reduction in the manufacturing sector, Lai said that emissions last year are estimated to have totaled 138 million tonnes, below the target of 144 million tonnes.
Looking ahead, artificial intelligence would this year be introduced to maximize energy efficiency, with the aim of reducing emissions to 117.4 million tonnes by 2030, he said.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
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