TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After announcing on Saturday that Taiwan will prepare to reactivate decommissioned nuclear reactors, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said the country will maintain its policy of promoting green energy.
Speaking to media on Sunday, Lai said the decision to restart nuclear reactors No. 2 in New Taipei and No. 3 in Pingtung will not conflict with the government’s commitment to develop green energy industries, reported CNA. Lai also sought to reassure citizens that Taiwan’s energy reserves are stable and the country is not presently facing an energy crisis.
Lai cited safeguarding energy resources amid the ongoing Iran war, as well as the need to boost energy in support of Taiwan’s rapidly growing AI industry, as reasons to reactivate the nuclear facilities. Taiwan Power Company plans to submit a proposal to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of the month, which will be expedited for review by Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰).
In order for final approval to be granted, inspections of the nuclear sites must pass all safety inspections and present comprehensive plans for nuclear waste disposal, per CNA. Earlier this month, Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) suggested the No. 3 reactor in Maanshan, Pingtung, could be back online as soon as 2028.
The announcement on Saturday drew criticism from commentators who said Lai was backtracking on the DPP’s long-held commitment to achieve a nuclear-free homeland. Responding to questions on the shift in energy policy, Lai said Taiwan already achieved its goal of being nuclear-free when the second reactor at the No. 3 facility in Pingtung was decommissioned in May of last year.
In the past few years, Taiwan has made great progress developing alternative sources of energy, including wind, solar, and geothermal. The government will continue to invest in these industries, and they can "coexist without contradiction or conflict" with a return to nuclear power, Lai said.
Taiwan People’s Party Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said the decision to restart the reactors is “correct and necessary.” Huang still criticized Lai and the DPP and said they should apologize to the public for the flawed past energy policy, reported LTN.
