Taitung: 6 Small Hydropower, 4 Geothermal Power Plants, 60% Self-Sufficiency by 2030
Taitung County Government is actively promoting green energy, with plans to achieve 60% electricity self-sufficiency by 2030, generating 600 million kilowatt-hours annually. The county currently relies on power from western Taiwan, consuming about 1 billion kWh per year. To mitigate outage risks, Taitung has developed 6 small hydropower plants and 4 geothermal power plants, with more under construction.
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- 📰 Published: April 17, 2026 at 16:11
- 🔍 Collected: April 17, 2026 at 16:31 (20 min after Published)
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TAITUNG COUNTY (Central News Agency reporter Lu Tai-cheng) -- The Taitung County Government is promoting green energy. Currently, Taitung has 6 small hydropower plants and 4 geothermal power plants, and it is expected to generate 600 million kilowatt-hours annually by 2030, achieving 60% self-sufficiency in electricity.
Taitung County's electricity supply relies entirely on power transmitted from western Taiwan, with annual consumption of approximately 1 billion kilowatt-hours. Should a major disaster occur in western Taiwan's power infrastructure, Taitung County could face blackouts. To address this, the Taitung County Government accelerated the development of geothermal and small hydropower microgrids six years ago, aiming to achieve the goal of 600 million kilowatt-hours of self-generated electricity by 2030.
Chang Cheng-wen, Director of the Taitung County Government's Finance and Economic Development Department, told Central News Agency reporters today that many small streams in Taitung County's mountainous areas have significant elevation drops. By channeling water through pipes to small hydropower generators, electricity can be produced. Currently, the Taitung County Government has partnered with local communities and engaged operators to construct 6 small hydropower plants, with 4 already operational.
This year, a seventh small hydropower plant is planned for construction in Daren Township, utilizing the Wufugu Stream. It is estimated to generate 132 kilowatts per hour, and the water can be returned to the stream for reuse. The generated electricity could be prioritized for community use, with any surplus sold to Taiwan Power Company. Local residents also hope to turn this into a tourism highlight.
Regarding geothermal power generation, one plant is currently in commercial operation, with three others under construction.
Chang Cheng-wen stated that Taitung does not have large power plants, but it can utilize geothermal and small hydropower green energy for self-generation, forming a microgrid. The resources are actually abundant. Taitung County's annual electricity consumption is about 1 billion kilowatt-hours. Once these two green energy sources are fully developed, it is estimated that by 2030, approximately 600 million kilowatt-hours can be self-generated annually.
He added that green energy generation has a very low impact on the natural environment. In the future, if more such small power plants are built and successfully connected to form a regional grid, Taitung will be able to generate its own electricity, unafraid of large-scale power outages caused by disasters.
Huang Chun-kai, a power generation engineering consultant, said that electricity developed from small hydropower would first supply local communities before being fed into the grid. Kao Ho-feng, Chairman of the Taitung County Daren Township Nantian Community Development Association, stated that combining small hydropower with low-carbon tourism could also promote environmental education. (Editor: Chen Jen-hua) 1150417
Taitung County's electricity supply relies entirely on power transmitted from western Taiwan, with annual consumption of approximately 1 billion kilowatt-hours. Should a major disaster occur in western Taiwan's power infrastructure, Taitung County could face blackouts. To address this, the Taitung County Government accelerated the development of geothermal and small hydropower microgrids six years ago, aiming to achieve the goal of 600 million kilowatt-hours of self-generated electricity by 2030.
Chang Cheng-wen, Director of the Taitung County Government's Finance and Economic Development Department, told Central News Agency reporters today that many small streams in Taitung County's mountainous areas have significant elevation drops. By channeling water through pipes to small hydropower generators, electricity can be produced. Currently, the Taitung County Government has partnered with local communities and engaged operators to construct 6 small hydropower plants, with 4 already operational.
This year, a seventh small hydropower plant is planned for construction in Daren Township, utilizing the Wufugu Stream. It is estimated to generate 132 kilowatts per hour, and the water can be returned to the stream for reuse. The generated electricity could be prioritized for community use, with any surplus sold to Taiwan Power Company. Local residents also hope to turn this into a tourism highlight.
Regarding geothermal power generation, one plant is currently in commercial operation, with three others under construction.
Chang Cheng-wen stated that Taitung does not have large power plants, but it can utilize geothermal and small hydropower green energy for self-generation, forming a microgrid. The resources are actually abundant. Taitung County's annual electricity consumption is about 1 billion kilowatt-hours. Once these two green energy sources are fully developed, it is estimated that by 2030, approximately 600 million kilowatt-hours can be self-generated annually.
He added that green energy generation has a very low impact on the natural environment. In the future, if more such small power plants are built and successfully connected to form a regional grid, Taitung will be able to generate its own electricity, unafraid of large-scale power outages caused by disasters.
Huang Chun-kai, a power generation engineering consultant, said that electricity developed from small hydropower would first supply local communities before being fed into the grid. Kao Ho-feng, Chairman of the Taitung County Daren Township Nantian Community Development Association, stated that combining small hydropower with low-carbon tourism could also promote environmental education. (Editor: Chen Jen-hua) 1150417
FAQ
By when does Taitung County plan to achieve 60% electricity self-sufficiency?
Taitung County plans to achieve 60% electricity self-sufficiency by 2030.
What are the main renewable energy sources Taitung County is developing for self-sufficiency?
The main renewable energy sources Taitung County is developing for self-sufficiency are small hydropower and geothermal power.