Taiwan will miss its target of generating 20 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by the end of 2026, the island’s economy ministry said, citing new environmental regulations that have restricted the expansion of ground-mounted solar power projects.
Economy minister Kung Ming-hsin said the overall target remained unchanged but would be pushed back after amendments to three environmental and land-use laws expanded environmental impact assessment requirements and banned solar installations in certain areas, making project development more difficult.
Taiwan’s parliament approved a package of amendments in November banning ground-mounted and floating solar installations in several protected areas, tightening oversight of a sector that has expanded rapidly in recent years.
“The goal of reaching 20 per cent renewable energy will definitely be achieved,” Kung told reporters at a year-end policy briefing, adding that the government would review the causes of the delay and announce a revised timeline later.
Taiwan’s “532” energy mix policy aims for renewables to make up 20 per cent of power generation, coal 30 per cent and natural gas 50 per cent. The government had already postponed the renewables target from 2025 to late 2026, and Friday’s announcement signals further delays.
To offset restrictions on ground solar, authorities will prioritise rooftop solar installations. A policy requiring new buildings to install rooftop solar will take effect from 1 August and is expected to add about 660 megawatts (MW) annually through 2028. Household rooftop subsidies are projected to add another 272 MW per year, while equipment replacement programmes could add 500 MW by 2030.
Taiwan is also expanding offshore wind capacity. The ministry said wind farms including Hai Long phases 2 and 3, Greater Changhua Northwest and Southwest phase two, and a second Taiwan Power project are expected to connect to the grid this year, adding about 5.3 gigawatts (GW). Selection for the third phase of zonal offshore wind development is expected to conclude in the fourth quarter.
The government is also accelerating development of geothermal, small hydropower and hydrogen energy projects as part of its broader clean energy strategy.
Kung said new conventional generation capacity would help ensure power stability. In 2025, new units at Datan and Hsinta power plants added 2.213 GW of capacity. In 2026, additional units at Hsinta and Taichung plants are expected to add another 5.2 GW combined.
Addressing concerns from industry about potential power shortages, Kung said supply would remain stable if construction projects are completed on schedule.
Separately, Kung said Taiwan saved 10.895 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2025, equivalent to the annual consumption of about 2.62 million households.
On nuclear power, Kung said Taiwan Power, also known as Taipower, a state-owned electric power industry providing electricity to Taiwan and its off-shore islands, is expected to submit a plan in March to restart the No. 3 nuclear power plant after a government-approved status review last November.
Taipower has also signed a memorandum of understanding with US-based Westinghouse for independent safety inspections, though Kung said the timeline for any restart would depend on technical discussions with the original equipment manufacturer.
The island ruled out restarting its oldest nuclear power plant in December but said two other facilities show potential for reactivation, marking a significant administrative step toward a possible return to nuclear energy after the island shut its last operating reactor in May.
The economy ministry said at that time that it had approved Taipower’s condition assessment for the three decommissioned plants, concluding that Nuclear Power Plant No. 1 is too deteriorated to operate again, while Plants No. 2 and No. 3 will undergo in-depth safety inspections before any restart plan is submitted.
Meanwhile, Taiwan is also still working on a long-term solution for high-level nuclear waste disposal. Kung said the government’s priority remains completing dry storage facilities, calling nuclear waste safety “the top priority”.
