Taiwan: Taiwan’s Energy Administration is preparing plans to develop around 160 microgrids to improve the resilience of the island’s electricity network, according to Taiwan Power Company Vice President Wu Chin-chung.
The state-owned utility has already assisted in establishing nine demonstration microgrid projects designed to support power supply during disasters.
A microgrid is a localised electricity network that can generate, store and manage power independently or operate alongside the main grid. In emergency situations, it can continue supplying electricity even if the wider network is disrupted.
Wu announced the plans during the 2026 Annual Forum organised by the Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET) in Taipei on 6 June. He took part in a panel discussion on energy security cooperation with experts from the United States, Japan and Ukraine.
According to Wu, Taiwan needs a more distributed approach to managing its power system. He pointed to major blackouts in 2021 and 2022, which revealed weaknesses in the country’s centralised electricity network. Human error was identified as the immediate cause of those outages.
He also noted that traditional power grids can be vulnerable to attacks and external military threats, adding that approximately 160 microgrids are currently being planned.
Source: RTI News
