TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's legislative process hit an impasse Monday (March 31) as legislators clashed over the future of nuclear energy, with competing visions for the island's power generation strategy preventing any progress on key regulatory changes. The Education and Culture Committee (立法院教育及文化委員會) failed to reach consensus on proposed amendments to the "Nuclear Reactor Facilities Regulation Act" (核子反應器設施管制法), forcing the contentious legislation into cross-party negotiations.
Opposition parties advocated strongly for nuclear power expansion during the heated session. The Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) championed amendments to Article 6 promoting a "non-carbon homeland" (非碳家園) while pushing to extend existing nuclear operations. Similarly, the Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) presented a comprehensive package of 10 proposals aimed at extending nuclear plant licenses and streamlining the regulatory process for extension applications filed before current licenses expire. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) Legislator Ngalim Tiunn (張雅琳) pushed back forcefully, criticizing the KMT for "historical negligence" in ensuring long-term safety protocols when initially constructing the island's nuclear facilities. Her colleague Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) emphasized the persistent and unaddressed challenges of nuclear waste management.
The debate intensified when TPP Legislator Chang Chi-kai (張啓楷) defended nuclear energy as aligned with international energy trends, accusing the ruling DPP of deliberately stigmatizing nuclear power despite its potential benefits. KMT Legislator Yeh Yuan-chih (葉元之) stressed that legislation should provide the government with sufficient flexibility to adapt energy policies as needed. Adding a technical perspective to the discussion, Nuclear Safety Commission (核能安全委員會) Chairperson Chen Min-jen (陳明真) acknowledged the complex challenges in predicting timeframes for equipment replacement and regulatory reviews. Chen clarified that while his commission oversees safety, the ultimate decisions regarding nuclear power utilization fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA, 經濟部) and Taiwan Power Company (台電).
