Pan-green politicians have suggested that former premiers Yu Shyi-kun and Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) should be tapped to lead Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) and oil refiner CPC Corp, Taiwan, amid calls for reform of the two state-run firms following a massive blackout that hit the nation on Tuesday last week.
The blackout was caused by a disruption of the natural gas supply to a major power plant in Taoyuan’s Datan Township (大潭) after a CPC contractor failed to comply with standard procedures during a routine maintenance of a gas metering system.
The blackout affected 5.92 million households and businesses.
CPC chairman Chen Chin-de (陳金德) stepped down on Friday last week to take responsibility for the outage, while Taipower chairman Chu Wen-chen (朱文成) is due to retire in October, and who will succeed them has become the topic of hot debates.
New Power Party caucus whip Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) on Monday asked Premier Lin Chuan (林全) during a legislative session to appoint Yu and Su, saying they have the experience and capability to lead the reform efforts at the two firms.
Lin said that he did consult Yu about the appointments, but declined to go into specifics on potential candidates.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) urged the Cabinet to name Yu to head Taipower to carry out the party’s energy transition policies.
“To achieve the goal of a nuclear-free country, the DPP needs a person who is familiar with government administration and new-energy policies, and who has the resolve and ability to carry out President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) policy to phase out nuclear energy,” Chen said.
Although the job of Taipower chairman would be a relatively minor post for Yu, the former premier is the worthiest candidate as the DPP administration struggles to fulfill its energy transition goals, Chen said.
The two firms have a combined annual budget of more than NT$1.2 trillion (US$39.6 billion) this year, making their top posts influential positions.
Neither Yu nor Su have publicly commented on the possibilities of such an appointment, but Su’s daughter, DPP Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧), yesterday rejected the idea, saying her father had no intention of running Taipower.
However, his nickname, “Lightbulb” — a reference to his bald pate — might make him a good mascot for the firm, she said.
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