A transition toward a sustainable energy future: feasibility assessment and development strategies of wind power in Taiwan

While the international community has yet to achieve a consensus on the operational details of implementing the Kyoto Protocol, the rapidly increasing consumption of fossil fuels and the CO2 emissions produced in the industrializing developing countries further obscure the prospects for combating global warming. This study analyzes the problems of energy utilization in Taiwan as an illustrative example, and explores the strategies for increasing the market penetration of wind power in the traditional energy structure dominated by fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Decentrally produced wind power would contribute to establishing an autonomous and disaster-resilient power supply system. Replacing partial coal-based power generation with the full exploitation of wind energy would result in annual reductions of 9.8 million tons of CO2 in Taiwan. The key barrier to utilizing wind energy lies mainly in the lack of political impetus and a framework for promoting renewable energy in Taiwan. Priority tasks to allow wind power to penetrate the energy market include establishing legislative prioritization for renewable energy, setting premium prices for power from wind turbines, providing direct support of investment costs, raising awareness, etc.