Lai must support renewable energy
President-elect William Lai (賴清德) on Monday promised to accelerate the development of geothermal and hydrogen energy sources as part of a push toward meeting net zero emissions aims.
Lai said his administration would aim to maximize the use of green energy in Taiwan, implement carbon capture and storage technologies, build smart energy systems, promote green manufacturing and expand the circular economy, among other policies.
Government agencies were studying the feasibility of maintaining closed nuclear reactors so they could be restarted in case of an emergency, he told a forum last year. The comment led to speculation that Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) might abandon plans for a “nuclear-free homeland.”
However, then-DPP spokesman Chang Chih-hao (張志豪) the following day dismissed the speculation, saying the party’s plans had not changed. Then, on Nov. 3, Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) reiterated the stance, saying that it was in alignment with public consensus.
Chen responded to opposition lawmakers’ claims that nuclear power is green energy by saying that Taiwan’s treatment of nuclear waste has not reached international standards — necessary for it to be eligible for “green energy financing and investment.”
The opposition legislators might have been referring to Europe’s recognition of nuclear power as a green energy source. The EU in 2022 voted to include nuclear energy, under certain circumstances, in its plans for achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
Chen also argued that Taiwan’s nuclear plants have been fraught with problems for decades due to safety concerns, a lack of consensus on waste storage and public protests.
Chen might be right about this, but progress on geothermal, wind power and other renewable energy sources here has also been slow, due mostly to public protests and a lack of investment.
As contributing reporter Michael Turton wrote in “Is Taiwan’s idea of nuclear free homeland sustainable?” on Feb. 26, the situation “has left Taiwan with few power options but to ramp up fossil fuel imports, particularly liquid natural gas” — a situation that makes Taiwan “terribly vulnerable to a fossil fuel blockade” in the event of war.
Then there is the issue of industry needs. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) wants to build two new IC packaging plants in Chiayi County, and the country’s tech sector is expanding.
The power supply in Taiwan is already insufficient to meet the demand, and there will be even greater demand when new fabs go online.
Lai’s administration should heavily subsidize the development of geothermal, wind and marine energy power plants, as well as more efficient battery technologies.
Having a robust energy storage system would ensure continuous supply, while plants along the country’s coastline would give the grid redundancy, making it resilient to failure, damage from earthquakes and destruction during wartime.
As Taiwan’s tech sector grows, and as the deadlines for its emissions goals come closer, the country would have greater electricity needs.
If those needs are to be met with green energy, Lai’s administration will need to aggressively support the development of geothermal and other renewable solutions.