Taiwan's MOEA Mandates Energy-Saving Plans for Major Power Users by Q1 2028

(Central News Agency, reporter Tseng Yun-ting, Taipei, 18th) The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) today announced the "Regulations for Energy Users to Conduct Energy-Saving Audits and Formulate Energy-Saving Plans," requiring large energy users with a contract electricity capacity exceeding 800 kW to fully implement professional energy-saving audits, and to formulate and execute a 5-year energy-saving plan. Among these requirements, a comprehensive energy-saving audit must be completed between 2026 and 2027, and based on the results of the audit report, a 5-year energy-saving plan must be submitted before the first quarter of 2028. The MOEA explained in a press release that the Executive Yuan has been promoting the "In-depth Energy Saving Action Plan" since 2024, setting a target of saving 20.6 billion kWh of electricity over four years. Initially, state-owned enterprises will take the lead in conducting energy-saving audits. Concurrently, approximately 4,900 large energy users are required to achieve an average annual electricity saving rate of 1% to 1.5%, depending on their contract capacity level. For households, electricity saving is continuously promoted through subsidies for replacing old appliances. According to the MOEA, as of April 2026, various measures have resulted in a cumulative electricity saving of 12.068 billion kWh, with large energy users contributing over 2.9 billion kWh. From January to April this year, electricity savings amounted to about 1.17 billion kWh, equivalent to reducing natural gas power generation demand by about 164,000 metric tons, or the gas supply of about 2.7 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, showing significant overall energy-saving results. The MOEA stated that to help users find suitable energy-saving audit teams according to their needs, an "Energy-Saving Audit Information Zone" will be established to consolidate and provide information on various audit teams, making it convenient for users to inquire and contact professional services. In terms of financial support, in addition to extending the investment tax credit under Article 10-1 of the "Statute for Industrial Innovation," the government will also expand the scope of application for energy saving and carbon reduction and increase the upper limit of the investment tax credit to NT$2 billion. It also provides subsidies for energy performance guarantee projects, waste heat and cold recovery, and the purchase of power and public utility equipment to lower the investment threshold for businesses. The MOEA emphasized that by strengthening the energy-saving audit and 5-year plan system for large energy users, it can systematically uncover energy-saving potential, improve energy use efficiency, and simultaneously drive the development of the energy-saving audit and service industry. It is hoped that industry and government can collaborate to accelerate the achievement of net-zero transition goals, creating a win-win situation. (Editor: Pan Yi-ching) 1150518