Visiting US energy experts yesterday shifted their lobbying efforts to legislators, especially those from the DPP, in the belief that these political figures could convince the central government to scrap the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (
Accompanied by anti-nuclear activists from the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union, John Byrne and Edward Smeloff met with legislators at the DPP caucus office in the Legislative Yuan yesterday afternoon.
During the meeting, Byrne, the team's leader, told DPP legislators that the new government should take into account the liberalization of the electricity industry when considering the nuke plant issue.
DPP Legislator Hsu Tain-tsair (
Smeloff told of his experience as an elected board director of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District between 1987 and 1997. During that time, residents voted to close a nuclear power plant in that California city.
DPP Legislators Lai Chin-lin (
Kao Cheng-yan (
Before visiting the legislators yesterday, Byrne, Smeloff and two other US energy experts -- Amory Lovins and Hunter Lovins -- paid a visit to Lin Hsin-yi (林信義), the minister of economic affairs.
Lin said he would not comment on the project because a ministry task force was reviewing the project.
"The project has its own historical burdens, but the coming final decision will be made based on different perspectives, including environmental and labor costs," Lin said.
In 1980, the Taiwan Power Co (Taipower,
Company officials say the plant is roughly 30 percent complete.
The DPP's victory in the March presidential election renewed hope that the project will be reviewed.
A ministry task force will decide the plant's future in September.
Lin told the US energy experts that he personally favors developing solar energy technologies and wind power plants, as Taiwan's unique climate and geographic conditions made those options ideal.
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
TRUST: The KMT said it respected the US’ timing and considerations, and hoped it would continue to honor its commitments to helping Taiwan bolster its defenses and deterrence US President Donald Trump is delaying a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure his visit to Beijing is successful, a New York Times report said. The weapons sales package has stalled in the US Department of State, the report said, citing US officials it did not identify. The White House has told agencies not to push forward ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), it said. The two last month held a phone call to discuss trade and geopolitical flashpoints ahead of the summit. Xi raised the Taiwan issue and urged the US to handle arms sales to
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said that it had confirmed on Saturday night with its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil suppliers that shipments are proceeding as scheduled and that domestic supplies remain unaffected. The CPC yesterday announced the gasoline and diesel prices will rise by NT$0.2 and NT$0.4 per liter, respectively, starting Monday, citing Middle East tensions and blizzards in the eastern United States. CPC also iterated it has been reducing the proportion of crude oil imports from the Middle East and diversifying its supply sources in the past few years in response to geopolitical risks, expanding
Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s (黎智英) fraud conviction and prison sentence were yesterday overturned by a Hong Kong court, in a surprise legal decision that comes soon after Lai was jailed for 20 years on a separate national security charge. Judges Jeremy Poon (潘兆初), Anthea Pang (彭寶琴) and Derek Pang (彭偉昌) said in the judgement that they allowed the appeal from Lai, and another defendant in the case, to proceed, as a lower court judge had “erred.” “The Court of Appeal gave them leave to appeal against their conviction, allowed their appeals, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences,” the judges
RSS