TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's state-owned utility, Taiwan Power Company (Taipower, 台灣電力公司), moved Monday (May 19) to quell public concerns about the imminent decommissioning of the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant's (核三廠) second reactor. Despite the reactor providing approximately 3% of Taiwan's electricity, Taipower officials insisted the loss would not require full operational capacity at the controversial coal-fired Taichung Power Plant (台中電廠), addressing growing environmental anxieties in central Taiwan.
The dispute erupted after Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) and the city's Environmental Protection Bureau (環保局) publicly alleged that power generation at the Taichung facility would surge by 50%, effectively pushing the plant to full capacity. Taipower firmly rejected these assertions as misinformation, emphasizing its standing commitment to operate no more than nine generating units at the Taichung facility during months outside the designated high air pollution season.
According to Taipower's environmental data, the utility has achieved a remarkable 70% reduction in air pollution emissions from its thermal power facilities since 2016. Company representatives stressed that technological advancements in both power generation efficiency and pollution control systems have enabled them to maintain consistent electricity output while dramatically reducing environmental impact. These improvements, they argued, make it unnecessary to increase the Taichung plant's generation capacity following the Maanshan reactor's scheduled closure.
In its defense of Taiwan's complex energy transition, Taipower emphasized that energy security depends on maintaining a diverse portfolio of power sources rather than over-reliance on any single technology. The utility pushed back against what it characterized as overly simplistic labeling of thermal power as "dirty electricity," arguing such characterizations undermine both Taiwan's energy security goals and environmental progress. Taipower pledged to continue balancing emission reductions with the island's critical need for stable electricity supplies amid growing geopolitical uncertainties. ◼
