TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's top nuclear regulator has publicly acknowledged that extending the timeline for the island's ambitious nuclear phase-out could help address looming energy shortages. Chen Min-jen (陳明真), who heads the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC, 核能安全委員會), made the admission Thursday (April 24) during questioning before the "Education and Culture Committee" of the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament.
The regulator's comments echoed his own 2022 public letter advocating for a ten-year extension of the "Nuclear-Free Homeland" (非核家園) policy deadline from 2025 to 2035 to relieve energy supply constraints. When pressed by Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), a member of Taiwan's main opposition party, Chen reaffirmed his stance on the need for policy flexibility. He pointed to the recent rejection of environmental permits for a critical natural gas terminal project as further justification for reconsidering rigid nuclear elimination timelines.
During the legislative session, Ko raised concerns about Taiwan's dwindling nuclear expertise, describing a "brain drain" as American institutions attract the island's specialists with competitive compensation packages. The legisator criticized the inadequate financial support for Taiwan's National Atomic Research Institute (國家原子能科技研究院), arguing it undermines the country's ability to keep pace with American and Chinese advancements in nuclear fusion technology.
Chen acknowledged these workforce development challenges while Institute Director Kao Tsu-mu (高梓木) downplayed immediate concerns, suggesting that fusion technology remains decades from practical implementation and therefore justifies more modest research investments. ★
