Nuclear Referendum Fails to Clear Threshold

Taiwan on August 23 held a referendum on restarting the Maanshan nuclear power plant in Pingtung County, but the measure failed after voter turnout fell short of the legal threshold despite strong support among those who cast ballots.

According to the Central Election Commission, about 74% of voters favored restarting the plant once safety was confirmed, while 26% opposed. Yet the “yes” votes accounted for only around 22% of the electorate, below the required 25% minimum for passage. Turnout was just under 30%, among the lowest for a national referendum in recent years.

The outcome preserves Taiwan’s nuclear-free status following the shutdown of Maanshan’s last reactor in May. President Lai Ching-te, who urged a “no” vote ahead of the ballot, said the results underscored the need for diversified energy development. He added that nuclear power could only be reconsidered if safety, waste disposal, and public consensus are secured.

Opposition figures, including Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang, argued during the campaign that the island’s grid is increasingly vulnerable without nuclear power, pointing to simulations by U.S. think tanks. Supporters of the ban cited the risks of operating an aging facility near a fault line, warning that lessons from Fukushima remain unresolved.

Lai Commits NT$900 Billion to Green Transition

President Lai Ching-te pledged NT$900 billion (US$29.9 billion) to accelerate Taiwan’s energy transition on August 17, saying the investment would strengthen industrial competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience.

Speaking at a Taiwan Climate and Health Alliance forum in Taipei, Lai said the plan is expected to attract NT$4 trillion in private co-investment. He linked the initiative to the development of artificial intelligence infrastructure, particularly for healthcare, law, and finance, and called on the medical sector to support Taiwan’s pursuit of sovereign AI.

Lai described climate change as a generational challenge, citing extreme rainfall, typhoons, heat waves and the spread of infectious diseases. He reaffirmed Taiwan’s target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, a pledge first made under former president Tsai Ing-wen, and said the National Climate Change Response Committee was established to bring government, industry and civil society together on sustainable development.

Since last year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has helped 40 hospitals complete carbon inventories as part of its net-zero program for medical institutions. Lai, a former physician, said the government will continue to support the health sector through measures such as an NT$10 billion fund for new drugs and the NT$50 billion Healthy Taiwan Sprout Project. He urged the medical, biomedical, and technology industries to work together to elevate Taiwan’s global profile.

Government Weighs Expanding Underground Power Lines

Premier Cho Jung-tai has ordered a review of whether more of Taiwan’s power cables should be moved underground to reduce the risk of outages during typhoons and other extreme weather.

Speaking in Taitung on August 16, Cho said the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the state-run Taiwan Power Company, or Taipower, would begin preliminary planning and feasibility studies. He cited widespread blackouts earlier in the summer, including outages affecting more than 300,000 households during Typhoon Podul last week and more than one million during Typhoon Danas in July.

Cho said burying power lines would help prevent such disruptions and reduce the danger to Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) workers, who often must climb poles in hazardous conditions. According to Taipower data, more than 40% of Taiwan’s lines, including those on outlying islands, were already underground at the end of 2023. Taipower has long included underground cabling in its development plans, though the cost is 8 to 12 times higher than for overhead lines.

Cho did not say whether the review would focus on particular regions or transmission networks, but noted that preparatory work could take years and reflected public expectations for a more resilient grid.

Power Plant Officials Indicted in Bribery Cases

Three individuals, including the head of the defunct Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City, were indicted on August 15 on corruption charges tied to contracts at Taiwan’s power facilities, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. A businessman surnamed Tsao, who admitted paying bribes, was granted deferred prosecution.

Kuosheng Director Tseng Wen-huang, who took office in January 2024 after the plant was shut down the previous year, allegedly solicited NT$2 million (US$66,470) from Tsao to approve an incinerator control system project. The demand was later reduced to NT$1.6 million, which Tsao delivered to Tseng’s apartment in Keelung last August. Tseng is also accused of demanding NT$200,000 for signing off on a supervisory control and data acquisition system contract in June 2024, with the payment made in January this year.

At Tsao’s urging, another businessman surnamed Hao bid on a NT$7 million sandblaster project and gave Tseng NT$200,000 twice in March and April 2025. Hao also maintained ties with Linkou Power Plant Director Chu Yun-chung, who was indicted for taking NT$500,000 in 2019 and NT$300,000 in 2020 to help secure projects at the coal-fired facility.

Prosecutors said Tsao expressed remorse and provided a full account of the scheme, leading to his deferred prosecution and an order to pay NT$1.5 million into the national treasury. Tseng, Chu, and Hao face formal charges in court for their roles in the corruption cases.

Taiwan Showcases Circular Economy Plastic Policies

The Ministry of Environment’s Resource Circulation Administration opened a plastic life cycle exhibition in Taipei on August 1 to showcase Taiwan’s efforts to cut plastic pollution through circular economy initiatives, sustainable materials, and new recycling technologies. Running until September 13, the event also invites public input for government policies.

The exhibition preceded the UN’s INC-5.2 plastics treaty negotiations in Geneva, which ended August 16 without agreement on production caps, financing, or chemical restrictions. Taiwan’s delegation followed the talks remotely, noting overlap between the draft treaty and Taiwan’s policies, including restrictions on plastic use, incentives for refillable containers, and marine protection campaigns. Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming said Taiwan would continue applying life cycle management principles regardless of the treaty’s outcome but warned that shrinking budgets under new fiscal rules could affect local environmental programs.