Premier Lin Chuan said today that although maintaining a stable supply of electricity will be a challenge this summer, it will also be a good litmus test for current energy conservation measures.
Speaking after a Cabinet briefing by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) regarding a raft of energy-saving measures, the premier expressed hope that these measures will encourage the public and industry to change their energy-use patterns, and help transform Taiwan's energy industry. He then requested that all government agencies adopt the MOEA's response measures by reducing overall energy consumption, especially for unnecessary lighting, air conditioning, equipment and machinery.
The measures proposed by the MOEA today, the premier said, are necessary because electricity supplies have been tight every summer, especially over the past few years. Conserving energy should be an everyday habit for everyone, reflecting the basic values and attitude at the heart of green energy, sustainability and environmental conservation. Not just important during the summer months, energy conservation should be a year-round affair, he said.
In the medium and long term, energy conservation includes raising energy efficiency standards, educating the public about replacing energy-consuming motors and air conditioners, energy management practices, and increasing private sector participation in energy conservation efforts. Public awareness programs by the central and local governments will also provide the public with more creative energy-saving ideas, and the premier hopes that these efforts will be well-planned and continuously promoted.
In its briefing, the MOEA said that its summer energy-saving plan will run from June through September, with a host of different methods for government agencies, and residential and industrial users. Residential consumers that reduce electricity usage, for instance, will be rewarded at the rate of NT$0.8 for each kilowatt-hour saved. For industrial users that purchase high-efficiency power equipment, the government will subsidize one-third the cost. For small and medium-sized enterprises, that subsidy will be 20 percent higher.
The ministry also said it will be making power supply information public, including weekly power consumption trend charts and extrapolated estimates for the following week, monthly consumption figures for Taiwan as a whole and individual sectors, as well as peak load management results, hoping to get all hands on deck nationwide to combat high energy consumption this summer.