A DPP energy policy task force said yesterday its research showed the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant could be replaced if the government shifted its focus toward improving Taiwan's thermal power plants.
"The makeover could improve the efficiency of electric power supply by 40 percent and provide seven times more power than the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant," said Lai Chin-lin (
Lai stressed the results of their research would be presented to the new president for his evaluation.
National Taiwan University professor Chang Kuo-lung (
"The new government only needs to upgrade its thermal power plants' mechanisms and use combined cycle gas turbine (
"Then the power capacity generated can adequately supply Taiwan's electric power to meet and reduce carbon dioxide levels.
Other professors confirmed this optimistic opinion, saying the new government would find Taipower has misled residents by revealing false information.
"Taipower said the co-generation system was not appropriate for Taiwan's situation because it can not produce enough electric power for Taiwan's power demands," said Wang To-far (
"However, after the Legislative Yuan passed the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant bill, the Executive Yuan announced a new policy to encourage the co-generation system. This measure now provides over 10 percent of Taiwan's total demand. A capacity which is larger than that of the nuclear power plant."
The only detail the task force has not finished discussing are the possible "legal problems," which includes compensation to a foreign company for violating contracts.
Responding to the DPP's suggestion, officials from the Ministry of Economic Affairs said that resources and replacements should take into account the time factor.
"To makeover all thermal power plants' mechanisms it is necessary to improve the efficiency to about 30 to 40 percent," said Chen Chao-yih (陳昭義), Executive Secretary of Energy Commission at the ministry economics ministry.
"But a question remains," Chen added, "as combined cycle gas turbine technology has yet to be used widely."
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
CHIPS AND DEFENSE: Trump said the US had lost its chip business and Taipei should pay it for defense, and added that ‘we’re no different than an insurance company’ Taiwan-US relations are solid, and both sides are in agreement that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region are everyone’s concern, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday following comments by former US president Donald Trump that Taiwan “should pay” for US defense. Taiwan is thankful to the US for supporting Taiwan’s bid to participate in international organizations, Cho told a news conference in Taipei. “I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100 percent of our chip business,” Trump told Bloomberg on June 25 in an interview that was published on Tuesday. “I think
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END OF SESSION: Other changes that passed involved the removal of restrictions on group tours to China and raising the sentence for people found guilty of child abuse Legislators yesterday passed the third reading of amendments to Article 49 of the Electricity Act (電業法), which stipulate that at least half of the electricity price evaluation committee should be made up of civilian representatives, and a resolution to invite President William Lai (賴清德) to present a state of the nation address at the Legislative Yuan. They also passed a motion proposed by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) that the government remove restrictions on group tours to China. On the last day of this year’s first legislative session, the legislators attempted to deal with dozens of bills