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New RE100 criteria released in March tighten clean energy recognition. (Image: iStock)
RE100 is a global corporate renewable energy initiative that requires companies to achieve 100% renewable electricity use within a set timeframe, between 2020 and 2050. For Taiwan’s manufacturing sector, RE100 has become a critical strategy for maintaining international orders and securing a place in global supply chains.
RE100 released in March new Technical Criteria that significantly tighten the standards for recognizing renewable electricity. Set to take effect with the 2025 disclosure cycle, the updated rules come as Taiwan’s green energy supply remains severely limited, placing unprecedented pressure on local companies.
This article unpacks the impact of the new requirements and explores procurement strategies to help Taiwan-based RE100 members diversify risk and strengthen their energy transition plans.
1. Key changes in the 2025 RE100 Technical Criteria
RE100 released on March 25 the updated technical criteria introducing several major changes aimed at improving the credibility of corporate renewable electricity claims. The revisions are also intended to encourage companies to support new renewable energy projects, accelerating the transition to a global zero-carbon grid.
15-year facility vintage: the core update
A central feature of the new criteria is the introduction of a 15-year facility age limit, effective starting from the 2025 disclosure cycle. Under the updated rules, renewable electricity claims must be sourced from facilities that were commissioned or repowered within the past 15 years. This means that electricity recognized in 2025 must come from facilities that began operating on or after January 1, 2010—commonly referred to as “new green power.”
Exemptions (to maintain flexibility):
- On-site self-consumption
- Physical PPAs that do not involve green power wheeling through the grid
- Long-term projects where the company is the original off-taker
- Passive purchases via default renewable delivery mechanisms
- PPAs that began operation before January 1, 2024 (grandfather clause[1])
To allow some flexibility, the new criteria permit up to 15% of a company’s total electricity consumption to come from facilities that do not meet the 15-year rule and do not fall under the listed exemptions. For example, if a company reports that 50% of its electricity use is from renewables, but only 15% qualifies under the new criteria, only that portion can be officially recognized, leaving 35% uncounted.