TAIPEI – His party might be known for advocating a “nuclear-free homeland”, but Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) appears to have left the door open about the use of nuclear power in the future.
Speaking on Aug 23 after a referendum on whether to restart the island’s last nuclear plant was rejected, Mr Lai said: “If, in the future, the technology becomes safer, produces less nuclear waste, and social acceptance is greater, we will not rule out advanced nuclear energy.
“The people want peace of mind and a stable power supply, and these are the government’s unshirkable responsibilities.”
His comments were one of the clearest indications yet that his ruling DPP is re-examining its blanket opposition to nuclear power.
On Aug 23, Taiwanese voters rejected a referendum on whether the island’s Maanshan power plant should be restarted – just three months after it was shut – as the number of votes failed to meet the minimum threshold of around five million.
Nonetheless, some 4.3 million people had voted in favour of a return to nuclear power, significantly higher than the 1.5 million who voted against it. Even in Taiwan’s southern Hengchun township, where the nuclear plant is located, 60 per cent of the votes were in favour of its restart.
The vote highlighted the island’s challenges in finding a balance between ensuring energy security and environmental safety while it navigates geopolitical tensions and the demands of economic growth.
Taiwan relies on imports for more than 96 per cent of its energy – primarily coal and liquefied natural gas – which makes it extremely susceptible to supply disruptions. As Taiwan faces rising military threats from China, which claims sovereignty over the island, fears have grown that Taiwan’s extreme dependence on imported energy will leave it vulnerable in the event of a Chinese maritime blockade.
At the same time, Taiwan’s crucial semiconductor industry – which produces the majority of the world’s most advanced chips – has seen its power demands soar amid a global boom in artificial intelligence.
Taiwan’s largest chip manufacturer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, accounted for around 8 per cent of Taiwan’s total electricity usage in 2023. As advanced chip production accelerates, that figure is projected to triple to 24 per cent by 2030.
“Energy is the weakest element in Taiwan’s resilience,” said Mr Mark Cancian from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies think-tank in Washington, who co-authored a war game in July that simulated a Chinese blockade of Taiwan.
He added that it is crucial for Taiwan to ensure that its energy sources are resilient.
At the media briefing, Mr Lai said Taiwan is open to new nuclear power solutions on the condition that safety is assured, nuclear waste solutions are available, and that there is societal consensus.
He did not give details, but observers say one option may be the introduction of small modular reactors, which are generally considered safer than large conventional reactors due to their smaller size and lower power output.
Mr Lai’s words marked a shift in his administration’s approach to nuclear power.
For decades, the DPP has made anti-nuclear energy a core part of its policy platform due to safety concerns. Its opposition to nuclear power was solidified following the 2011 Fukushima disaster in neighbouring Japan, when a massive earthquake and a subsequent tsunami led to a severe nuclear accident. Significant amounts of radioactive material was released into the environment.
Like Japan, Taiwan experiences frequent tremors because it lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone of intense seismic activity around the Pacific Ocean.
In 2024, nuclear power generated only a mere 4.2 per cent of Taiwan’s electricity – in contrast to the 52 per cent during the 1980s – as the island moved towards achieving the DPP’s goal of a “nuclear-free homeland”.
But progress on Taiwan’s renewable energy policies has been slow. In 2024, more than 80 per cent of Taiwan’s electricity was generated from fossil fuels, while renewables accounted for only about 12 per cent, some way to go to meet the government’s goal of reaching 20 per cent by 2025.
“A few years ago, the DPP would have been dead set against nuclear power. But in the last several months, the Lai administration has signalled an openness to newer nuclear technology provided it was safe,” Associate Professor Chen Shih-min, a political science analyst at National Taiwan University, told The Straits Times.
“This shift demonstrates the government’s recognition that energy security is of huge importance.”
Prof Chen added that this comes amid a revival of nuclear energy worldwide to meet energy demands. Even Japan has been gradually restarting reactors under new safety regulations, and there are plans for the construction of new reactors, he pointed out.
On Aug 22, Mr Jensen Huang, the Taiwan-born founder of US chip giant Nvidia, told reporters in Taipei that he hopes the island would explore all energy options given AI’s need for energy.
“There are excellent technologies for sustainable energy – solar and wind… and nuclear is an excellent option,” he said.
“In a region marked by rising tensions and uncertainty, energy security isn’t just an environmental concern: It’s tied directly to questions of national resilience, economic sovereignty, and even defence,” said Ms Liz Joho, who conducted research on the topic at the Taiwan Centre for Security Studies, a think-tank.
“Against this backdrop, Taiwan’s energy debate is more than a political choice, but rather a balancing act between long-term sustainability and short-term survival.”
Also on Aug 23, voters in some regions cast their ballots to decide whether to unseat seven legislators from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), including Mr Johnny Chiang, the legislature’s deputy speaker.
It was the second time in a month that a mass recall vote was held, as part of an unprecedented movement to restore legislative control to the DPP after it lost its majority in a 2024 election.
All seven KMT lawmakers survived the vote, mirroring the July 26 recall vote, when voters overwhelmingly rejected the attempt to oust 24 opposition lawmakers.
