Questioning Premier Lin Chuan’s (林全) pledge to meet the nation’s power demands in two years, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) yesterday said that Lin would not even be the premier two years from now.
In an interview published on Wednesday by the Chinese-
language Economic Daily News, Lin told the state-owned Taiwan Power Co to “just give up” on nuclear power.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
The country “just needs to tough it out for the next two years” before new power plants go online to ease the situation, Lin said in the interview.
Offshore wind turbines are expected to generate 4 gigawatts in seven years, Lin said.
The nation was on the brink of power rationing following the collapse of a transmission tower in Yilan County late last month due to Typhoon Nesat, showing the fragility of the nation’s power supply plans, Ko said.
“Are we betting that there will not be another typhoon?” Ko asked.
Moreover, not only has this summer been unseasonably hot, but power shortages had also occurred during winter, she said.
“It is easy for Lin to say we are going to tough it out. Can he be more specific on how we are going to do that? If we are not able to tough it out, what would be the repercussions? Does the government have any backup plan?” Ko asked.
Lin has said the offshore wind farms would be able to generate 3.5GW by 2025 to replace two nuclear power plants, Ko said.
That is higher than the Bureau of Energy’s earlier estimate of 3GW, which experts have said would be difficult to achieve, Ko said.
Renewable energy sources do not provide stable power supply and could be sporadic through the seasons, making them a poor direct substitute for nuclear or coal-fired power plants, she said.
Offshore wind farms face other factors and uncertainties, such as maritime engineering, environmental impact, the fishing industry, typhoons and earthquakes, harbors and maritime navigation, she said.
Taiwan also lacks the required core technologies and its reliance on non-Chinese contractors — a requirement imposed due to political considerations — has further driven up costs, Ko said.
Lin should be transparent about how much money the public will have to shell out to complete the wind power program, she said.
“If Lin wants to play hardball, he should sign a guarantee that there will be no power shortages after we tough it out in the next two years. Two years from now, Lin will not even be the premier. Where will we find the person responsible for this?” she asked.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden