Overseas green power feasibility report due in 6 months: Minister

Taipei, Oct. 16 (CNA) Economic Affairs Minister Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝) promised on Wednesday that his ministry would produce a report within six months on the feasibility of setting up green power plants overseas, after receiving criticism for statements made earlier this week about the idea.

Kuo made the pledge in a legislative hearing, two days after he said that his ministry was considering building green power plants in the Philippines and sending the electricity back to Taiwan to meet a desperate need for clean energy at home.

The minister also apologized for his "inaccurate" remarks, suggesting that he had been careless in making them.

After bringing up the idea on Monday, Kuo explained on Tuesday that the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) could help companies transfer the electricity generated in the Philippines back to Taiwan through an undersea cable or ship it to Taiwan by cargo vessels, without providing details.

On Wednesday, the minister faced a fierce backlash for his remarks from opposition lawmakers of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) in the Legislature.

Noting that Taiwan incurs costs of NT$40 billion (US$1.24 billion) due to damaged cables each year, KMT Legislator Chang Chia-chun (張嘉郡) asked Kuo how much money would be needed to transfer energy from the Philippines back to Taiwan through undersea cables.

At a separate press conference, TPP lawmaker Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) also called it a premature plan, accusing Kuo of seeking to distract public attention away from the problem of Taiwan's renewable energy ratio.

Putting aside issues related to cost, technology and national security, Huang said the plan lacked "thoughtfulness."

Kuo said that the idea of building green power plants abroad originated among friendly countries in the region on the basis that they supply green power to each other.