TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taichung City Government on Tuesday approved Taipower’s application to conduct a test run of a new gas-powered generator at the Taichung Thermal Power Plant, ending a 15-month delay.

The city government attributed the delay to the need for a comprehensive review of the application, per Liberty Times. Taipower said the prolonged process had forced other power plants to temporarily compensate for the delayed unit.

DPP Taichung City Councilors Chang Chia-an (張家銨) and Chang Chao-kuo (江肇國) criticized the delay, describing the review process as excessive and obstructive, per UDN. They also accused Environmental Protection Bureau Director Cheng Hung-yi (陳宏益) of stalling the application.

Cheng responded by noting that Taichung had never previously reviewed a generator of this scale and said the review process was carried out with caution. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) supported the bureau’s handling of the application and emphasized the importance of safety.

Taipower also expressed concern over a recent legislative resolution that advances the deadline for decommissioning coal-fired units at the Taichung plant from the originally planned 2034 to 2028, per UDN. The utility criticized the decision, arguing that it shifts energy burdens to neighboring cities and regions.

According to Taipower, Taichung has been Taiwan’s largest power consumer over the past six years and is projected to use 40 billion kilowatt-hours in 2028. The company warned that retiring coal-fired units ahead of schedule could result in a 20 billion kWh shortfall, potentially requiring backup support from plants in Miaoli, Taoyuan, and Kaohsiung.