Taiwan's Energy Commission (
The official said the commission is expecting to receive five to six more applications in the current round of bidding for private power projects.
"The five applications we've received so far all proposed to build power plants in central or southern Taiwan," the official said.
"Due to the inadequate capacity of the state-run Taiwan Power Company's (
Taipower currently monopolizes Taiwan's power transmission and distribution, and IPPs have to sign contracts with Taipower to sell the electricity they generate to Taipower.
"The power plant projects that are proposed to be located in the north have a better chance of winning approval, due to insufficient power supply in the north," the official said.
The lack of power plants in the north has long called for a transmission of power -- which is generated from power plants in the south -- to the north. Because of this, Taipower was to complete a power transmission expansion by June this year; however, the plan has been delayed because of protests from local residents who are opposed to the construction of power transmission towers in their neighborhoods.
Taipower's power transmission capability may be reduced because of a dislodged power tower in Tainan County in southern Taiwan in late July, which caused a power outage to almost 90 percent of the island's residents, as well as earthquake damage to two major substations in central Taiwan and other power towers, the official said.
Taipower officials previously told Bridge News that while temporary arrangements will be made to sustain power transmission for immediate needs, the dislodged tower and the two substations will take at least one year to restore.
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