Taiwan's Nuclear Power Phaseout Uncertain Under Divided Legislature
The decadeslong controversy over nuclear energy in Taiwan is once again at the forefront of political discussions, as a slight opposition majority in the legislature now brings into question the ruling party's no-nuclear homeland policy, which aims to see nuclear power phased out by 2025.
Transcript
00:00 "Taiwan will soon have a new leader, but among his first battles will be an old one.
00:09 What to do about nuclear power on the island?"
00:13 President-elect Lai Ching-de of the Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, is firmly anti-nuclear,
00:19 and his party, which has been in power for the last eight years, advocates for a nuclear-free
00:24 homeland by 2025.
00:27 But the opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party are pro-nuclear energy, and now these
00:33 parties together hold a slight majority in the country's legislature, meaning the use
00:38 of nuclear power may continue longer than the DPP had planned.
00:42 "What decisions will the DPP make?
00:45 Taiwan is a public-private partnership.
00:47 Taiwan will follow the government's and the DPP's decisions."
00:50 Reliant on imports for virtually all its energy needs, Taiwan generates very little of its
00:55 own power, only 2.7 percent, and nuclear energy makes up a significant but diminishing part
01:02 of that.
01:03 Of the country's four nuclear power plants, two have already been decommissioned and one
01:08 was never finished due to safety and waste management concerns.
01:13 The last plant running currently provides around 6 percent of the country's electricity,
01:18 but it's meant to be taken offline by 2025.
01:21 Hoping to bolster the country's energy security and self-sufficiency, advocates for nuclear
01:27 power are pushing to extend the plant's lifespan.
01:30 "We must agree with the DPP.
01:33 The villagers agree with it too.
01:35 More than 70-80 percent."
01:37 But those who oppose it are just as vocal.
01:40 The use of nuclear power here has long been highly political, and environmentalists believe
01:45 that politicians aren't seriously considering the technicalities.
01:49 "I don't really feel like we're having a substantive debate on clean energy in Taiwan around nuclear.
01:56 It feels like a wedge issue that the political parties are using to galvanize support.
02:02 But it's not really like an academic discussion of is this the right pathway for Taiwan."
02:06 Ultimately, the future of nuclear power in Taiwan will depend on whether the opposition
02:11 parties can cooperate in the legislature.
02:14 Only then might they be able to overturn the new president's vision for a no-nuclear homeland.
02:20 John Su and Sally Yenson for Taiwan Plus.
02:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]