TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Democratic Progressive Party on Monday restated its opposition to restarting the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County, ahead of a referendum on the issue set for Aug. 23.

The party cited nuclear power’s high costs, noting that in California, extending nuclear plant operations for five years, including loans and operational expenses, cost more than NT$430 billion (US$14.31 billion)—over NT$4 per kilowatt-hour.

It also criticized Taiwan People’s Party Chair Huang Kuo-chang’s (黃國昌) suggestion to bury nuclear waste in a hole the size of Yushan as “unimaginably costly” and posing “immense nuclear safety risks.”

The DPP said nuclear plants are especially vulnerable during wartime, pointing to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as proof that such facilities can become strategic targets. Damage could trigger nuclear disasters, it said, adding that distributed renewable energy offers real security.

By the end of 2025, Taiwan will add 4.81 GW of new capacity, far more than the 0.95 GW produced by Maanshan’s No. 2 reactor, the party said. By 2033, net capacity is expected to rise by 17.86 GW, sufficient to meet AI and high-tech demand. “Taiwan’s real power shortages occurred during Ma Ying-jeou’s presidency, not today,” it added.

The DPP concluded that only if nuclear safety is assured, waste issues resolved, and social consensus achieved, could restarting the Pingtung facility even be considered.