Over the past decade, Taiwan’s renewable energy sector has made significant progress, and the Taiwan Renewable Energy Alliance（台灣再生能源推動聯盟, TRENA) has been a supporting force of this transformation. Founded in 2015, TRENA is a unique civil society organization that unites stakeholders from all corners of the renewable energy ecosystem. Its diverse membership spans corporations, academia, think tanks, civic groups, environmental organizations, and NGOs.

TRENA’s core mission is to build a supportive environment for renewable energy in Taiwan and to promote nationwide policies that accelerate the transition. To achieve this, the association actively engages with the Legislative Yuan through public hearings, consults with the Executive Yuan, and collaborates with environmental groups, industry associations, and the public. This broad representation allows TRENA to bridge sectors, build common understanding, remove policy barriers, and support societal acceptance of renewable energy as a key tool in addressing climate change.

Taiwan’s renewable energy share has grown from 4.1% in 2015 to 12% in January–September 2025. However, meeting national policy goals and satisfying the expanding demand for green energy — particularly from the semiconductor industry —will require continued effort. The sector has experienced both progress and setbacks, and 2025 has been especially challenging for solar and wind, the two largest sources of renewable installations. A positive development is the increasing momentum in geothermal energy. Investments made in recent years are beginning to show results, and more projects are expected to come online before 2030, bringing geothermal closer in prominence to solar and wind.

 In 2025, TRENA strengthened its collaboration with key institutions. The organization worked closely with the Legislative Yuan to organize public hearings addressing delays in renewable deployment and identifying solutions to existing barriers. TRENA also expanded coordination with solar, wind, geothermal, and other renewable energy associations to create a more unified approach to sector development.

Despite progress, 2025 has highlighted how difficult it is to stay aligned with the 2030 installation goals. Taiwan continues to lack broad societal consensus on energy policy, and public support often splits along political lines. These challenges are compounded by misalignment among government agencies, friction between central and local governments, and inconsistent planning, budgeting, and administrative support.

To move forward, Taiwan must strengthen collaboration among stakeholders. The challenge is not a lack of commitment — developers, companies seeking renewable energy, society and political leaders all recognize the importance of the transition. Notably, Taiwan’s three largest political parties have each set renewable energy goals targeting around a 30% share for 2030. What Taiwan needs now is a shared public vision of clean energy as a national priority, supported by coherent policy and consistent executive action.

To help foster broader understanding and public engagement, TRENA published its first white paper, “Civil Society Energy Transition White Paper: From Energy Voters to Energy Citizens” (民間版能源轉型白皮書：從能源選民到能源公民). The aim is to inform the public about renewable energy while encouraging individuals to take part in the energy transition — not only through informed voting but in everyday actions, such as supporting energy cooperatives and community-driven initiatives. TRENA plans to publish this white paper annually in collaboration with NGOs, industry associations, and interested members of the public.

 Through TRENA’s public outreach, it supports communities implementing renewable energy projects, participate in stakeholder consultations, and continuously work to improve understanding of clean energy across society. TRENA has launched two podcast series. For English-speaking listeners, “TRENA Talks” provides insights into renewable energy developments in Taiwan and the wider region, helping build cross-border dialogue. For Chinese-speaking audiences, our weekly podcast “Let’s Talk Green Energy!” (來聊綠能吧) features over 60 episodes covering a wide range of topics, with speakers sharing best practices, experiences, and challenges.

TRENA is funded through membership fees and, most importantly, through public donations. To learn more about our work, please visit www.trena.org.tw.
Our heartfelt thanks go to our member Ørsted Taiwan for giving TRENA the opportunity to write in this publication and for their steadfast commitment to advancing renewable energy in Taiwan.