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US energy expert criticizes Taipower for misrepresenting nuclear power costs

State-run Taiwan Power Company (Taipower, 台電) has misled the public about the true cost of nuclear power plants, US energy experts alleged yesterday.

Chen Mo-shing (陳謨星), director of the energy systems research center at the University of Texas at Arlington, said that the final cost of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (核四廠) would be much higher, because Taipower has underestimated the expense of decommissioning the plant.

Chen made the comments yesterday at a press conference organized by anti-nuclear legislators.

In addition, Chen said, "The dropping costs of nuclear energy and nuclear facilities is because of smaller demand, as nuclear technology has been given up by most developed countries -- including the US, Japan and those in Europe."

Chen said that Taipower's information relating to the cost of the nuclear plant ran counter to the experience of other countries.

Also, Chen said, Taipower hadn't given much thought to liquefied natural gas or renewable energy alternatives.

Another target of Chen's attack was Minister of National Defense Wu Shih-wen (伍世文), who said earlier that he doubted China would ever attack Taiwan's nuclear plants. Wu said that China, fearing that potential nuclear fallout could spread to the mainland, would avoid attacking the plants.

But Chen said that from a military perspective, centralized power stations such as nuclear plants and transmission lines were ideal targets. For example, he said, NATO forces targeted and disabled the transmission lines of Yugoslavia's nuclear plants during air campaigns over that country.

Faced with continuing debate over the nuclear power plant, legislators and politicians should turn their attention to the liberalization of the electricity market, Chen said.

"In the future, at least 20 percent of the nation's electricity should come from small hydro-power plants, renewable energy and fuel cells," Chen wrote in a statement released yesterday.

Chen said that semiconductor firms in the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park had the potential to develop renewable energy technology and deserved more support from government.

Chen specializes in the modeling and analysis of electric power systems, power systems planning, security operations of electric power systems and energy conservation.

He was appointed by Texas Governor George W. Bush to serve as a consultant on the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

Because of Chen's success in the US, he is regarded among anti-nuclear activists and DPP officials as an influential figure in the nuclear energy debate.

According to anonymous sources, the US energy expert visited Presidnt Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in private on Thursday to present his suggestions on adopting renewable energy. Also, the sources said, President Chen has arranged unofficial meetings between the energy expert and government officials.

Before Chen returns to the US next Thursday, he will exchange opinions on energy policy with legislators and energy-related governmental agencies.
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