Anti-nuclear sentiment has been matched by enthusiasm for renewable energy and efforts to help combat global climate change. On June 15, the Legislative Yuan passed the landmark Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act (GGRMA), clearly confirming Taiwan’s commitment to the fight against global climate change. The bill, which had been pending in the legislature since…
A “nuclear free homeland” may be the goal of both major political parties. The difference is how – and how fast – to achieve it. Few would deny that nuclear power has been vital to Taiwan’s development into an industrial powerhouse. Always highly dependent on imported energy, primarily crude oil, Taiwan responded to the oil…
The goal has wide political support, but the challenges are immense, especially when abandoning nuclear energy is coupled with stringent targets for reduced greenhouse-gas emissions. With the two major political parties seemingly in agreement to allow nuclear energy facilities to wind down and be replaced with renewable energy, the near term is likely see a…
The Legislative Yuan in June froze the budget for Taipower’s pilot project to send nuclear waste abroad for reprocessing to give lawmakers time to review the plan. Under the NT$11.25 billion plan, 1,200 spent fuel rod bundles – 8% of the total spent fuel currently stored in cooling ponds at Taiwan’s three active nuclear power…
For two days in late January, a total of 173 delegates – government officials, legislators, scholars, business leaders, and representatives of civic groups – attended a National Energy Conference called by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The group debated the crucial issue facing Taiwan following President Ma Ying-jeou’s decision last year to suspend construction of…
