Taiwan currently relies on coal for more than 40 percent of its electricity. It has just published figures stating it aims to boost its wind-power capacity eightfold in the next 20 years to help reduce carbon emissions.
This new government target has been set to increase Taiwan’s installed wind-power capacity to 3,150 megawatts by 2030 from just 372 megawatts currently. The figures are published on the the Ministry of Economic Affairs Web site. One megawatt is enough to supply an average 800 U.S. homes.
The island is joining countries including the U.S. and China in adding wind turbines to help cut production of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. President Ma Ying- jeou has pledged to cut emissions to 2000 levels by 2025.
Taiwan Power Co., the island’s state-run electricity producer, has 106 wind turbines in operation, compared with 90 run by private companies, the ministry said.
Wind turbines accounted for 0.6 percent of Taiwan’s electricity production in February, compared with 42 percent for coal-fired generators and 18 percent for plants running on natural gas, Taiwan Power said on its Web site.
Taiwan Power, 97 percent-owned by the government, generates about 75 percent of the electricity the island uses and monopolizes transmission.
