Low-Carbon Transition: Major Electricity Users Must Take Responsibility

TRENA Releases 2024 Taiwan Green Electricity Evaluation for Major Carbon Emitters and Power Consumers

Post-Press Conference Press Release

On April 22, Earth Day, the Taiwan Renewable Energy Alliance (TRENA) officially released its “2024 Evaluation Report on Green Electricity Usage by Taiwan’s Major Carbon Emitters and Electricity Consumers”. Facing the challenges of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, the report not only discloses corporate green electricity usage data, but also seeks to encourage companies to advance toward sustainability goals through greater transparency. TRENA further calls on the government, industry, and society to work together in creating a more supportive environment for renewable energy development.

TRENA Project Assistant Hsu Yu-Ray stated that, in order to better understand green electricity performance across different industries, the survey integrated multiple evaluation indicators from questionnaires and data analysis. According to the findings:

• The top three companies in terms of total green electricity usage in Taiwan were TSMC, United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), and AUO Corporation(AUO).

• The top three companies in terms of green electricity usage ratio were TSMC, Winbond Electronics, and Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation.

• The top three companies in terms of self-generated renewable electricity usage ratio were Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation(FCFC), Feng Hsin Steel, and Innolux Corporation(INX).

1. Overall Evaluation

(1)Cross-Industry Rankings

Across all industries, TSMC, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation(FCFC), and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) received the highest distinction ratings.

Companies rated as “Excellent” included Innolux Corporation(INX), Winbond Electronics, Nan Ya Plastics, AUO Corporation(AUO), Feng Hsin Steel, Powertech Technology Inc.(PTI), China Steel Corporation, CPC Corporation Taiwan, Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation(PSMC), Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation(VIS), and Chang Chun Petrochemical Co., Ltd.

Companies rated as “Good” included Formosa Plastics Corporation, Chang Chun Plastics, Nanya Technology Corporation, Siliconware Precision Industries(SPIL), Tung Ho Steel, King Yuan Electronics, Dairen Chemical Corporation(DCC), and Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board Corporation(N.P.C).

2. Industry-Specific Evaluation

Because high-energy-consuming industries such as steel, petrochemicals, and electronics face unique challenges regarding renewable energy adoption — including costs, technological feasibility, and policy support — this year’s evaluation also included industry-specific assessments.

(1)Electronics Industry

TSMC and UMC received the highest scores in renewable electricity adoption, followed closely by Innolux.

(2)Steel Industry

Feng Hsin Steel and China Steel Corporation ranked highest overall in the steel sector, achieving notable progress in both self-generated renewable energy and purchased green electricity. Although Tung Ho Steel had not yet introduced self-generated renewable energy, it significantly increased its green electricity ratio through procurement. These examples demonstrate the steel industry’s efforts toward energy transition.

(3)Petrochemical Industry

CPC Corporation Taiwan achieved the highest evaluation score within the petrochemical sector. Its gas stations, refineries, and petrochemical plants have all installed self-generated renewable energy facilities. Chang Chun Petrochemical followed closely behind.

(4)Plastics Industry

Nan Ya Plastics stood out for installing rooftop solar systems at its facilities, significantly increasing its renewable energy usage ratio. Formosa Plastics Corporation, which had not yet introduced self-generated renewable energy in 2023, demonstrated measurable progress in 2024, gradually fulfilling the responsibilities expected of major electricity users.

(5)Other Manufacturing Industries

Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation(FCFC) delivered the strongest performance among other manufacturing industries, particularly in self-generated renewable energy development.

The survey results indicate that Taiwan’s major electricity users have demonstrated increasing commitment toward green electricity transition. Significant progress has been made both in the construction of self-generated renewable energy facilities and in the procurement of renewable electricity. Different industries have also adopted different strategies according to their operational characteristics. For example, electronics companies have rapidly increased renewable energy usage through procurement, while traditional industries tend to prioritize self-generation facilities to secure long-term renewable electricity supply.

TRENA Secretary-General Gao Ru-Ping emphasized that information transparency and international alignment are critical to advancing energy transition and achieving net-zero emissions. However, Taiwan’s current disclosure mechanism regarding major electricity users remains inadequate. Existing data largely relies on information released by the Ministry of Environment rather than the Energy Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs. Furthermore, 2024 data will not be fully disclosed until 2026, creating a severe lag in timeliness.

Because the Ministry of Economic Affairs has yet to fully disclose the renewable electricity usage of major electricity consumers, current assessments can only be indirectly estimated through Scope 2 greenhouse gas inventory data. Therefore, establishing a comprehensive information disclosure platform aligned with international standards is critically important.

As the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) takes effect, transparency in renewable energy usage and carbon reduction performance will directly affect international competitiveness. If Taiwan lacks sufficient domestic carbon credits, exported products may face additional carbon costs, potentially damaging industrial reputation and market competitiveness.

Under such circumstances, public disclosure mechanisms are not merely tools for oversight, but also important incentives for positive corporate competition. By disclosing renewable energy usage and decarbonization performance, companies can improve industry standards while strengthening brand reputation and international trust.

Although Taiwan’s renewable electricity transition policies have been in place for more than five years, overall progress remains insufficient and still falls significantly short of CBAM expectations. TRENA therefore recommends that the government adopt a corporate grading and incentive system similar to TRENA’s evaluation model. Companies receiving top ratings should receive concrete incentives, such as inclusion in National Sustainable Development Award evaluations, recognition as benchmark corporate cases, or favorable financing conditions.

For companies facing greater difficulties in renewable energy transition, the government should also provide stronger support mechanisms. TRENA proposed a “mother duck leading ducklings” group-purchasing model, allowing major electricity users and SMEs to jointly procure renewable electricity, thereby increasing bargaining power and enabling broader participation in energy transition.

TRENA further emphasized that energy transition is not solely the responsibility of environmental agencies, but is closely tied to Taiwan’s industrial resilience and national security. Amid growing geopolitical risks, encouraging major electricity users to prioritize self-generated renewable electricity within their own facilities can reduce blackout risks while strengthening energy security and supply resilience.

The government was also urged to more actively highlight the positive contributions of major electricity users in renewable energy adoption. Although companies often bear higher costs when using green electricity, their actions help diversify power sources and enhance grid resilience, and therefore deserve public recognition as part of ESG implementation and sustainable industrial development.

Tsai Chih-Hung, Executive Director of the Changhua County Medical Alliance, noted that the implementation results of Taiwan’s “major electricity user regulations” have fallen far below expectations. While the regulations originally required major electricity users to achieve a 10% renewable electricity target — only half of 20% renewable energy transition goal — by 2024 only two companies had achieved more than half of that requirement, while most companies failed to even reach 20%.

Although environmental groups filed lawsuits against the government, the courts ultimately ruled in favor of the government in 2025, effectively legitimizing its passive approach. Civil society organizations had already called for a review of the regulations in 2023, yet the government repeatedly delayed reforms. The final review introduced almost no substantive adjustments and instead relied on relatively low carbon fees as a substitute measure, providing little incentive for emissions reduction, and effectively amounting to a passive “doing nothing” approach.

Under this circumstance, if even major electricity users are struggling to meet their commitments, it is even less likely that smaller users will be able to achieve the targets, raising concerns over Taiwan’s ability to reach its 2050 net-zero goal. As regulations already require net-zero emissions by 2050 and a renewable electricity share of over 30% by 2030, the responsibilities of major electricity users will inevitably need to increase significantly in the coming years.

However, key supporting policies and measures remain incomplete, including the previous proposal to lower the major electricity user threshold from 5,000 kW to 800 kW. Overall, the government must demonstrate stronger policy commitment and implementation capacity, while providing practical support to businesses during the transition; otherwise, carbon reduction pledges risk becoming little more than empty promises.

Chang Hung-Lin, Executive Director of the Citizen Congress Watch(CCW), stated that Taiwan has gradually formed cross-party consensus regarding renewable energy development. Major political parties and presidential candidates have all proposed green energy policy platforms, with most targeting renewable energy shares of approximately 25–30% by 2030. While implementation progress still needs acceleration, the overall direction remains broadly aligned.

Even if debates continue over restarting nuclear energy or rapidly rising electricity demand driven by AI and emerging industries, both Taiwan and the global community are facing shared challenges in balancing energy supply, demand, and transition. In this context, renewable energy development remains a critical and indispensable component of Taiwan’s future energy system and is widely recognized as a cross-party consensus pathway for long-term development. He emphasized that society should rationally evaluate policy implementation challenges without denying or discrediting renewable energy itself. Only through pragmatic dialogue and consensus-building can Taiwan ensure steady progress in energy transition.

In Taiwan’s diverse and open society, energy issues should remain open to rational discussion and debate by everyone. Renewable energy is not as “expensive” or “outdated” as some stereotypes suggest. In fact, despite the suspension of nuclear power operations for nearly a year, Taiwan safely managed the summer electricity demand period, demonstrating that renewable energy has gradually become an important pillar supporting Taiwan’s electricity supply.

He cited the example of the 2009 Chi-Chi Earthquake, when Taiwan’s centralized electricity infrastructure caused widespread blackouts after the collapse of a single transmission structure. By contrast, distributed renewable energy systems today provide greater diversification and resilience, helping maintain essential electricity supply even during natural disasters or emergencies, eventually, becoming the baseline for Taiwan’s energy security and national resilience.

Former TRENA Vice Chairman Chen Bing-Heng stated that energy discussions in Taiwan have long been constrained by institutional and structural limitations, often preventing society from engaging in deep and rational discussions regarding the complexities of energy transition. Nevertheless, renewable energy development is clearly a global trend and future direction that should not be undermined by short-term political controversies.

While corrupt practices arising during renewable energy development should indeed be strictly investigated and addressed according to law, such issues concern governance and implementation rather than the legitimacy of energy transition itself. Completely rejecting renewable energy because of isolated controversies or political positions would not solve problems, but delaying Taiwan’s transition progress and weakening its international competitiveness.

Chen further emphasized that energy policy issues should return to a professional and evidence-based discussion. Taiwan can achieve steady progress in its energy transition only through cross-ministerial and cross-party dialogue conducted under a social consensus of adequate information and transparency. Such an approach will help balance the goals of economic development, environmental sustainability, and national security.

Regarding the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ recent proposal to shift renewable energy targets from “power generation” to “installed capacity,” emphased that the change may improve energy structure transparency and planning flexibility. However, TRENA cautioned that relying solely on installed capacity could overlook actual generation efficiency and stable power supply capability, potentially distorting policy evaluation and investment decisions.

TRENA therefore urged the government to consider both installed capacity and actual electricity generation when assessing renewable energy targets, ensuring that energy transition goals accurately reflect electricity supply conditions and environmental benefits.

Finally, TRENA emphasized that energy transition is not solely an industrial responsibility, but a shared responsibility of society as a whole. Taiwan should actively encourage collaboration between businesses and the public to participate together in fostering a more positive understanding of energy transition and sustainable social development.