Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.”
Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.”
“Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman of Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Pegatron Corp.
Photo: CNA
“Nuclear energy is therefore very important to Taiwan. Its power generation is relatively stable, it’s economical, and it helps with energy resilience,” he said.
The co-founder and former vice chairman of Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Asus suggested that wind and solar power generation are “inefficient and vulnerable to climate change,” while natural gas prices fluctuate significantly and supplies are “easily affected by winter and war variables.”
“Taiwan’s natural gas supply is highly dependent on imports, and its storage capacity is limited,” Tung said in reference to Taiwan’s largest source of energy.
In contrast, nuclear energy requires “a relatively small area of land,” he said.
Tung’s public remarks in support of nuclear energy imply that he does not fully support the government’s official “energy transition principle,” which is to “promote green energy, increase natural gas, reduce coal-fired, achieve nuclear-free,” according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ website.
In 2024, Taiwan’s 251.44 terawatt hours (TWh) of net power (generated and purchased) came from sources including gas (47.2 percent), coal (31.1 percent), renewables (11.9 percent) and nuclear (4.7 percent), according to Taiwan Power Co.’s website.
At the forum, Tung framed his pro-nuclear remarks in the context of geopolitical instability and the economic rivalry between China and the United States, and noted the importance of manufacturing capacity “if war breaks out.”
“Electricity will be the core power of nations in the 21st century,” the businessman said. “The efficiency of electricity is the efficiency of industry.”
“Efficient use of electricity is the key to whether a country will progress in the 21st century,” he said, adding that he expects AI, electric vehicles and microchips to be the “three major industries that symbolize wealth.”
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
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Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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