Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Wednesday presented his energy policy, calling for a transition to sustainable energy and extending the lifetime of two nuclear power plants.
By 2030, the nation’s energy composition would be 45 percent gas, 30 percent from renewable sources, 15 percent coal and 10 percent nuclear energy, Ko told a news conference.
The TPP chairman said that the carbon emissions reduction goal set by the government in 2020 to lower emissions by 2 percent from the 2005 baseline was a failure, as emissions increased by 2.6 percent in 2021.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
He also criticized the government’s approach to developing renewable sources and the work of the National Council for Sustainable Development, established in 1997 under the Executive Yuan.
If elected, he would set up a climate change and sustainability committee that would invite representatives from government agencies, academia, civic groups, youth and other stakeholders to draw up strategies for the nation’s sustainable development, Ko said.
He would also propose allocating carbon emissions quotas based on sectors, regularly examine the results of carbon emissions reduction initiatives and set up a transition fund paid for by carbon fees to promote balanced development, he added.
Other than relying on a wide range of energy sources to lower Taiwan’s dependence on imports, the development of renewable sources and investment in green technologies should also be encouraged, he said.
Nuclear power is necessary for the country’s energy transition and the most pragmatic way is not to set a deadline to “stop nuclear power,” which should only be done when renewable sources are sufficiently developed, he said.
He proposed extending the operation of the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County, and re-examining the operability of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮).
The decommissioning of the Guosheng plant started this year and the Ma-anshan plant is to begin shutting down next year.
To minimize disputes over renewable energy development projects, Ko proposed setting up a coordination mechanism to identify and coordinate the needs of developers before local governments approve projects.
Ko said that Taiwan should have a carbon pricing mechanism that prevents Taiwanese enterprises from being taxed by other countries.
The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential campaign office said in a statement that Ko’s vision of a future with multiple sources of renewable energy while refusing to set a deadline for ending nuclear power was irresponsible.
The DPP also criticized Ko for saying “how nuclear waste should be handled can be discussed later,” while proposing extending the operation of two nuclear power plants.
On Oct. 19, Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the DPP’s presidential candidate, said that he would not rule out using nuclear power if its safety is guaranteed and the problem of waste could be solved.
New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, in July said that if elected, he would not phase out nuclear power and would reopen decommissioned plants.
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