Taiwan should pursue cooperation with Washington to forge supply chains and expand energy storage capacity in its quest to reinforce energy resilience, a panel of Taiwanese and US experts said in Washington on Thursday.
They made the comments at a seminar on enhancing Taiwan’s energy resilience hosted by US think tank the Atlantic Council.
The ability to sustain electricity production and energy shipments amid hostile actions are key components to resilience, they said.
Photo courtesy of the Pingtung County Government
Atlantic Council senior fellow Joseph Webster called for a rotating team of US government personnel to advise Taiwan on energy resilience in connection with humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, cybersecurity and physical security.
The joint energy resilience task force could draw from the US Department of Energy, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and national labs, taking pains to reduce the publicity surrounding its work if necessary, he said.
“The US should prefer substantive support for Taiwan over showy displays and emphasis on China policy,” Webster said. “But at the same time, the US should not shy away from upsetting Beijing.”
Taiwan imports virtually all petroleum products via predictable maritime routes and the nation’s strategically key northern region — the seat of government and home to 40 percent of the population — is not self-sufficient in energy, Webster said.
Electricity sufficiency for the northern region of Taiwan requires diversifying energy sources and expanding its supply, he said.
This means building up energy reserves and investing in nuclear, oil and solar energy according to the differing needs and conditions of each region, Webster said.
Taiwan has done a commendable effort in increasing defense spending, and buying US arms, agricultural products and energy exports, he said.
Protecting national security might require Taiwan to look beyond conventional military capabilities, he said.
Liu Tsai-ying (呂采穎), director of the Energy Resilience Program at the Taiwan-based Research Institute for Democracy, Science and Emerging Technology, said Beijing could use maritime maneuvers to exhaust Taiwan’s energy stockpile.
Taiwan could begin to mitigate the impact of a Chinese blockade on energy shipments by increasing logistical flexibility, including making use of cargo swapping with Japan, South Korea and other trustworthy allies, she said.
Building power storage systems and transforming the energy structure would help Taiwan harden its energy infrastructure, Liu said, adding that coal and renewables could provide 80 percent of the nation’s essential energy needs, assuming conservation and rationing.
Additionally, Taiwan must address vulnerabilities stemming from its overly centralized power systems by dispersing critical cyber and physical nodes, she said.
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