| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立政治大學 === 亞太研究英語碩士學位學程(IMAS) === 103 === Taiwan has gained its economic growth at a price of environmental degradation since the 1960s. Water, air, and solid waste pollution problems were brought about by intensive industrialization and urban expansion without taking much environmental concerns into account. However, in the last thirty years, Taiwan has brought more than four hundred environmental laws and regulations, and has seen environmental movements and NGOs across the island evolving in tandem with the democratization process. Likewise, the Taiwanese authorities have seriously worked on the challenges surrounding the problem of carbon mitigation and adaptation despite the obstacles due mainly to a very conservative state-owned energy sector and a small-size territory, which, according to national energy authorities, would not allow for major development of renewable energy facilities. In 2009, the long-awaited Renewable Energy Act was passed, which enabled the Taiwanese government to promulgate favorable Feed-In-Tariffs (FIT) regulations for renewables. In 2010, the Taiwanese government further encouraged renewable energy efforts by fostering energy conservation and emission reduction policies through the establishment of two cross-ministerial commissions at the Executive Yuan level. From then on, the development of renewables made a great leap forward in the country. However, Taiwan has encountered obstacles in its renewable energy projects development. NIMBY-characterized movement against wind farms has been one of them where protests have slowed down and even interrupted the process. Looking at the very intense and revealing case of Yuanli (Miaoli County) wind power project, and drawing on the academic literature as well as interviews, this thesis is aiming to bring the research a step further than the simple (and often simplistic) NIMBY-related explanation. Therefore, this case study also intends to shed light on political, cultural and institutional aspects inherent to Taiwan that seem to constitute an impediment to the success of wind power facility siting in the country.
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