Taiwan has set out a series of governance guidelines aimed at easing long-running disputes between renewable energy developers and local communities, after a year-long “regional governance sandbox” experiment identified recurring flashpoints in solar, aquaculture-solar, micro-hydropower and geothermal projects.

Local pushback has grown across Taiwan’s clean energy rollout, with disputes erupting over solar farms on farmland, aquaculture-solar projects in Tainan’s coastal districts and geothermal exploration in indigenous areas. Fish farmers have protested declining yields and loss of pond access, while some large photovoltaic (PV) installations have also raised environmental and cultural concerns, prompting occasional permit withdrawals.

In response, the government launched a year-long “regional governance sandbox” to study conflict cases and develop solutions. The National Development Council (NDC), which led the initiative, said the experiment was designed to find scalable models for managing conflicts that have slowed the island’s push towards its 2050 net-zero goal. 

As of 2024–2025, Taiwan’s clean-energy build-out is accelerating, with total renewable capacity – spanning solar, wind, hydro, biomass and other sources – reaching about 22,191 megawatts. Renewables supplied roughly 12 per cent of Taiwan’s electricity generation in 2024, a steady increase from previous years, with solar and wind making up the largest share of that output, while fossil fuels remain dominant with more than 80 per cent of electricity still coming from gas and coal.

“Taiwan’s energy transition is not only a technical challenge, but a governance challenge,” said NDC Minister Yeh Chun-hsien on 26 November, noting that local resistance has repeatedly hindered progress.

According to the NDC, the experiment pointed to three main lessons: policies need a permanent cross-ministerial forum to align national planning with local realities; trust must be built through closer engagement with industry groups, farmers, fishers and community organisations; and the sandbox should evolve into a mechanism for trialling policy changes and advancing regulatory innovation in other areas of the energy transition.

For aquaculture-solar systems, the guidelines emphasise preserving the core function of fish farming, offering appropriate shading and site adjustments, and ensuring fishers and local groups retain agency throughout the process.

Micro-hydropower, which can be tailored to local conditions, should be developed by mapping water resources close to daily life, including irrigation channels, existing hydraulic structures and waterways, and designing schemes closely tied to community needs. Geothermal projects, meanwhile, should proceed alongside active social dialogue and respect for cultural contexts, given the sector’s early-stage regulatory and technical development.

Separately, Chuang Lao-da, director-general of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Resources and Sustainability, said the ministry will issue new guidelines next month for installing solar panels on greenhouse rooftops and livestock farms.

“It’s not just a matter of placing solar panels on top,” Chuang said, stressing that agricultural green energy must follow the principle of “agriculture first, green energy as added value”. 

Livestock farms must consider how temperature shifts affect animals, while greenhouses require modelling of light movement and crop needs to ensure normal growth.

The ministry also plans to announce amendments next month to the regulations governing permitted agricultural facilities, a draft first floated early this year. 

Chuang said revisions, informed by public feedback, would include measures such as equipment monitoring, production-traceability requirements, and synchronising application documents with energy authorities. The changes aim to verify genuine aquaculture activity and introduce deadlines for corrective action, ensuring more orderly development of green energy projects.