Indigenous energy justice a need

The Risk Society and Policy Research Center at National Taiwan University released Taiwan’s first survey on energy justice among indigenous peoples last month. The findings were alarming. Among households surveyed in indigenous communities, 52.2 percent had summer energy expenditures exceeding 10 percent of their work income, meeting the study’s “energy poverty” threshold, and 57.3 percent had at some point paid their electricity bills late because of financial difficulties. Many households could not afford to replace old appliances, leaving them with no choice but to continue using energy-intensive appliances. The poorer the household, the older its appliances, and the higher its electricity bills.

Energy transition policies cannot focus solely on renewable energy and carbon reduction without simultaneously addressing energy justice.

First, the government should launch a household solar program for indigenous communities. Eligible homes should receive full subsidies for the installation of solar power systems, with priority given to economically disadvantaged households and those facing the highest energy burdens. This would allow abundant sunlight in indigenous communities to be an energy asset for local residents, reducing their long-term electricity costs.

Second, the government should introduce a nationwide program to help indigenous households, including those in urban areas, replace old air-conditioners, heating systems and other energy-intensive appliances. Subsidies should be increased, with the most disadvantaged households eligible for full reimbursement. This would prevent a common policy failure in which households receiving a subsidy still cannot afford the required out-of-pocket contribution.

Local governments could consider allowing older indigenous residents to use points from senior citizens’ benefits cards to offset their electricity bills, with particular attention paid to elderly people living alone and those facing financial hardship. Policies for older people should not only enable them to take public transportation and leave their homes. They should protect the basic right to live safely and comfortably, including being able to use air-conditioning and heating during the summer and winter.

Where indigenous communities have abundant sunlight, let that sunlight become an asset for its residents. Energy policy should not just be concerned with generating electricity; it is about its accessibility as a matter of social justice. To this end, the government should introduce a comprehensive action plan for indigenous energy equity, covering everything from solar panels and appliance replacement to electricity-bill assistance for older people. Indigenous communities should no longer be the last group to receive a hand during Taiwan’s energy transition.