ROC President Ma Ying-jeou said April 24 that Taiwan’s public and private sectors should fast-track power-saving efforts to help the nation fulfill its promise of lowering carbon emissions to 2005 levels by 2020.
“Although not a signatory of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Taiwan has made such a promise in response to the global trend of conservation,” Ma said.
“And to this end, the government should lead the private sector in taking effective measures to reduce energy use.”
One of the major measures by the government is a nationwide project of replacing 815,000 mercury street lamps with light-emitting diodes. The project, which kicked off earlier this year, is expected to save 518 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year after it is completed in 2018, according to Ma.
A directive to government departments and agencies also instructs officials to purchase LED products when replacing old bulbs and lamps, Ma said.
Other steps to reduce energy use include an NT$100 billion (US$3.34 billion) fund. Administered by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the fund helps businesses obtain collateral loans for purchasing energy-efficient products and equipment.
According to Ma, the MOEA is planning to hold 56 sessions this year to teach electricity conservation tips to businesses. The ministry will also encourage enterprises with special needs to form partnerships with energy service companies to decrease their consumption of electricity, he added.
Households with comparatively low energy consumption should also switch to more power-saving bulbs, the president said, adding that subsidies to individual consumers will be laid out by the MOEA in the near future.
Ma made the remarks during a visit to two facilities under power supply manufacturer Delta Electronics and LED producer Epistar, respectively, in southern Taiwan.
The president said he was impressed with Delta’s automated facilities, eco-friendly buildings and solar panels, adding that the company can serve as a role model to other local businesses.
“As the domestic electricity rates are scheduled to rise starting May 15, the government will continue offering financial and technical assistance to help soften the impact on the commercial and industrial sectors,” Ma said.
