Light Up 13 Layer Remains

Taiwan Power Company

In 1888, the Qing Dynasty's governor of Taiwan, Liu Ming-chuan, founded the "Xingshi Company" in Taipei. The company supplied lighting through a small, coal- fired, steam generator. Although the firm only lasted for a month, it was the start of the electricity industry in Taiwan. During the Japanese era, a power plant was completed in Guishan in 1905. This was the beginning of hydropower generation in Taiwan. Development continued, leading to the establishment of the Taiwan Electric Power Co., Ltd. in 1919. Several major projects were completed during this period. The Sun Moon Lake hydropower project was completed and a transmission line was built in western Taiwan to connect the north of the island with the south. By 1944, the total installed power capacity of Taiwan had reached 321MW. After retrocession, the government committed itself to the further development of the electricity industry in Taiwan. During the Second World War, Taiwan's industry and infrastructure sustained serious damage. In the period immediately following the war, tremendous effort was committed to repairing and reconstructing the island's economy and infrastructural capacity. During the period, the Taipower Company was established on May 1, 1946. By 1953, the installed capacity had reached 363 MW and was composed of primarily of hydro (93.7%) and thermal (6.3%) power generation. The power system had entered a period of being "mainly based on hydro." Since 2006, international fossil fuel prices have risen rapidly. This has seriously affected the power industry. Taiwan is primarily an importer of fuel, and in order to ensure the sustainable development of its power industry, a new strategy was required. As a result, low-carbon power is being developed on the supply side, while energy conservation and electricity efficiency is being promoted on the demand side. Taiwan's electricity market has now entered a period of "energy conservation and carbon reduction."