The energy policies proposed by Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in Taiwan aim to provide stable energy while encouraging multiple energy sources. Future energy policies should comprise scopes of energy stability, environment protection, and economic attainment. Ironically the interests of the three scopes are in conflict with each other. For example, while Taiwan doesn't have a locally produced energy source, how is it possible to have low-priced, non-wasteful electricity?
The Argonne National Laboratory in US estimated Americans waste 57% of the energy between production and usage. Therefore, US technology development programs aim to invest in climatology, electricity preservation, smart grid, and biofuel transfers.
The main problem is to eliminate the habit of wasting energy. The usual focus is the price people pay for electricity and energy. For instance, the policy of charging garbage bags in Taipei City forces the people with the most garbage to pay a higher price, and naturally it will achieve the goal of lowering the production of garbage. The policy has also increased the life span of garbage landfills and contributed to the shutting down of many incinerators. Furthermore, the environmental burden has decreased due to the increased recycle rate.
However, electricity and energy are different from garbage as it is closely related to the economy, industries, and livelihoods. The average income of Taiwanese citizens and the value-added of the manufacturing industry cannot afford high-priced electricity or high tax on energy source. Moreover, legislators aggressively oppose the increase in electricity and oil prices due to election concerns. Therefore, the energy polices in Taiwan cannot adjust effectively. The "shock therapy" practiced by many countries to rescue the economy seems to be a taboo in Taiwan's energy policies.
In China's 12th Five-Year Plan, the preliminary planning is to invest CNY4 trillion to develop seven new industries, including the installation of a capacity of 90GW from wind power, 40GW from nuclear power, 280GW from hydro power, 5GW from solar power, 1.3MW from biomass, one million electric cars, and 10GW of battery in 2015. But these efforts will only be able to slow down the carbon emissions that comes with the economic development in China. About 70% of the energy in China comes from fossil fuel, which will continue to bring negative effects to the environment.
Nuclear power was proposed as "zero carbon energy" and "possible renewable energy" which gained support in the debates of carbon emissions and global warming. But the Japan earthquake and the consequential nuclear crisis once again demonized nuclear power. Currently, only 17% of electricity in the world comes from nuclear. After the incident in Japan, Germany announced a temporary halt to its nuclear power plants. The only exception is France. The 58 nuclear power plants in France produce 78% of the country's electricity. Nathalie Kosciusko Morizet, minister of ecology, sustainable development, transport and housing in France, pointed out that France should not abolish nuclear power plants since nuclear is a good energy source, and the only concern should be to increase the safety of the plants.
According to industry observers, the French nuclear power plants undergo upgrades every 10 years, and the safety standard is able to handle all natural disasters that the earth has seen over the past 1,000 years. Judging that Taiwan will continue to operate its nuclear power plants, it has to make sure that the plants are 100% safe.
Article translated by Jackie Chang
