XN000022-1996-12-19 — Page 7

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Energy Advisory Committee meeting

At the third meeting held today (Thursday), the Energy Advisory Committee agreed that the Energy Efficient Building Award Scheme '97 should be organised under the auspices of the Committee.

The aim of the Scheme is to promote energy efficient architectural design and building services. It is targeted at commercial, industrial and institutional buildings.

The first award, organised by the former Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee in 1994, aroused substantial interest among building professionals and achieved its objective of raising awareness of energy efficiency in the design of buildings and building services.

Today's meeting reviewed the position on the potential for generating electricity from household waste incinerated in facilities able to meet our stringent emission standards.

The Committee noted Government's intention to conduct a feasibility study on waste-to-energy incineration as a priority. Among other things, the study will examine the potential for connecting electricity produced by the waste-to-energy facilities to the existing transmission system.

The Committee was briefed by the Hong Kong and China Gas Company on the considerations involved in provisioning future demand for towngas, including the potential for demand side management for gas supply.

The meeting also noted the present position on implementing 14 energy policy principles agreed at the first Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Energy Ministers Meeting in Sydney, Australia in August 1996.

Generally, the principles promote more open energy markets, removal of excessive regulation of the energy sector and sustainable use of energy resources.

While further work is required in some areas, notably in connection with identification of feasible measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Hong Kong is well positioned to integrate the APEC principles into energy policy.

The Committee, which is chaired by Professor Charles Kao Kuen, CBE, advises the Government on energy policy matters, including energy efficiency and conservation. The next meeting will be held in April 1997.

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