A referendum on whether to restart a nuclear power plant failed today after the number of votes in favor fell short of the legally required threshold.
The Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County closed in May, ending atomic energy in Taiwan and increasing concerns about the nation's almost total reliance on fossil fuel imports to power its homes, factories and chip industry.
The referendum failed to pass with around 4.3 million people voting "yes" and 1.5 million voting "no."
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
For it to succeed, at least five million "yes" votes were required and they had to outnumber "no" votes.
The referendum was proposed by the Taiwan People's Party in April and backed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
Supporters said nuclear energy provides stable, low-carbon power and reduces reliance on imports.
They also cited scandals in the solar sector, Taipower's financial losses, and the fact that the European Union and Japan have embraced nuclear power.
Opponents warned that the plant lies near a fault line, posing a risk in the event of earthquakes. They argued a restart would also be costly, worsen the nuclear waste problem.
President William Lai's (賴清德) Democratic Progressive Party had opposed reopening Maanshan unless there were safety guarantees and a solution for waste disposal.
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