Assessing energy resilience under uncertainty in Taiwan: System response ability and energy sufficiency

Abstract

Energy resilience has recently been the subject of increased concern due to rapid population development and socioeconomic growth, which have led to insufficient energy sources under uncertainty in Taiwan. Despite previous examinations of various attributes, there is still no consensus on how to construct an energy-resilient network and characterize the decisive attributes for political and practical improvement. This study offers a hybrid approach comprising an exploratory factor analysis, the fuzzy Delphi method, a fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory, and a fuzzy important-performance analysis to (1) test the validity of the proposed hierarchical framework; (2) determine a valid energy resilience attribute set based on qualitative data and linguistic preferences; (3) assess the causal interrelationships in the energy resilience system; and (4) identify the gap in the importance of the attributes of energy resilience to determine the most decisive attributes for enhancing energy resilience performance in general and in Taiwan in particular. The results revealed five aspects, and 20 criteria were confirmed to constitute a valid and reliable set of hierarchical structures for energy resilience. Energy resilience depends strongly on the system's response ability and energy sufficiency. The performance value is less important to enhance the energy resilience system in Taiwan, which includes the energy infrastructure, national energy planning, energy prices, reliable energy systems, and energy policy. Theoretical and policy insights are presented.