Opposition vice presidential candidates challenged the government’s energy policy during Monday’s televised debate, while the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) vice presidential candidate questioned their positions on nuclear power.
Since taking power in 2016, the government’s energy policy has focused on phasing out nuclear power and running an electricity mix of 50 percent natural gas, 30 percent coal and 20 percent from renewable energy sources by next year.
Opposition parties have criticized the policy, especially as the rollout of renewable energy sources has lagged behind schedule, arguing in favor of maintaining Taiwan’s nuclear power generation capabilities.
Photo: EPA
The DPP’s candidate, Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), questioned the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) nuclear energy policy and asked how it could support its claims.
KMT presidential candidate Hou You-yi (侯友宜) has proposed raising the proportion of nuclear power in the nation’s energy mix to 18 percent by 2050, while his running mate, Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), has endorsed a target of 25 percent, said Hsiao, a former representative to the US.
She asked whether more nuclear power plants would have to be built to meet those targets and where the nuclear waste would go.
“The [five] DPP-governed cities and counties have all rejected the idea of building new nuclear power plants. Do KMT mayors and county commissioners agree to have new nuclear power plants in their cities and counties?” Hsiao asked.
Jaw said each of Taiwan’s three nuclear power plants that were or remain active could have housed four reactors instead of two, and that the mothballed Fourth Nuclear Power Plant was originally designed to house eight reactors, implying no new facilities would have to be built.
The Broadcasting Corp of China chairman said that the residents of Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) who live close to the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant support its continued operation, because they get subsidies without being exposed to health risks, as nuclear power is safe.
Jaw was referring to remarks by the Hengchun Township mayor in August that at least 70 percent of local residents supported the plant’s continued operation.
The two reactors at that plant are scheduled to stop operating in July and May next year when their 40-year operating permits expire.
Regarding nuclear waste, Taiwan should follow the US’ strategy of burying it deep in the ground, Jaw said.
Taiwan’s three nuclear power plants accounted for 16 to 20 percent of all power generated in the nation from 2000 to 2014, and 11 to12 percent from 2016 to 2021 after the first plant’s permits expired and it was shut down.
Taiwan People’s Party Legislator and vice presidential candidate Cynthia Wu (吳欣盈) called the “no nuclear homeland” proposal an ideology that has forced the acceleration of the development of renewable power installations, resulting in corruption and misconduct.
She said that as the economy relies heavily on the manufacturing sector, Taipei has to be realistic in terms of its energy policy.
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