In 1945, following the return of Taiwan to the Republic of China, power consumption stood at 275 kilowatts a year, and nearly all this was produced by hydroelectric stations. As demand for electricity grew, to reach 10.16 megawatts by 1981, these power stations soon became inadequate.
及至工業發展，對電的需求量愈來愈大，水力資源大多已開發利用，仍不足以應付所需，於是煤、石油、天然氣也都加入發電行列，是為火力發電，而以石油發電為最多。