The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would push for amendments to the Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act (核子反應器設施管制法) this legislative session to extend the use of the nation’s nuclear power plants, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday.
Chu made the remarks at a press conference in Taipei during which a poll conducted by the party’s think tank was publicized, showing that 73.6 percent of respondents supported the extension of nuclear power plant operations, while 20.7 opposed it.
Taiwan in July last year shut down the No. 1 reactor of its only active nuclear plant, the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Ma-anshan (馬鞍山), and is poised to become the first non-nuclear country in East Asia after the last reactor’s license expires in May.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Chu said the KMT’s proposed amendments would seek to extend the life of existing nuclear reactors from 40 years to 60 years.
The KMT hopes for bipartisan talks that can extend the life of nuclear energy reactors, he added.
According to the poll, 77 percent of respondents were in favor of amendments to the Electricity Act (電業法) that would establish a supervisory committee for the energy industry to ensure transparency and efficiency, while 12 percent were against.
On the shift from a nuclear-free to carbon-free policy, 57.8 percent of respondents were in favor, while 25.5 disagreed, the poll showed.
Chu said the nuclear-free policy has negatively impacted Taiwan’s energy development, adding that shutting down nuclear power plants in favor of green energy sources raises electricity prices and thermal power generation creates severe air pollution.
Due to Taiwan’s limited natural resources, it must rely on imported, nuclear and green energy sources, Chu said.
While the US has stopped developing wind power, unlike Taiwan it can rely on mining and domestic energy production, he said.
“The governing party is focused on politics, while the KMT is focused on people’s livelihoods,” Chu said, referring to the Democratic People’s Party’s push for a recall of KMT lawmakers.
The KMT is proposing several key policies to tackle the challenges of energy production, he said.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Energy Administration currently leads energy management, but it has to comply with central government policies and cannot operate independently, Chu said.
The KMT is proposing to amend the Electricity Act to establish an independent energy supervision committee to address public concerns and resolve issues, he said.
The Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant is scheduled to close in May, but experts have warned that Taiwan might face serious power shortages and the industrial sector has raised concerns, Chu said.
Countries around the world are aiming to reduce carbon emissions, achieve net zero goals and phase out coal, he added.
Taiwan should focus on being carbon-free rather than nuclear-free, which is an outdated concept, he said.
Transitioning from a nuclear-free approach to a carbon-free approach aligns with global trends and is crucial in the development of artificial intelligence, he added.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by