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.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS