If emerging technologies can resolve nuclear waste and guarantee safety, nuclear power could be a viable option for the nation, Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate, told a news conference on his energy transition platform yesterday.
Lai was responding to a question of whether the increased percentage of liquified natural gas (LNG) in power generation would be an issue of national security, and whether the party’s “zero nuclear” stance was more ideological than practical.
Lai said the public has voted in all related referendums that it does not want another nuclear power plant, and that existing nuclear plants are being retired mainly due to public concern over waste storage and safety.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
He also defended President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) energy policy, saying that the president was not closing down nuclear power plants when they are still operational, but is proposing to transition the nation’s power grid to greener sources as per law.
The last operating nuclear power reactor is slated for retirement by mid-2025.
He said the choice is not motivated by political ideology and is fully compliant with the law and global trends.
The goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 would not rely solely on solar or wind power, but would also depend on other diverse methods such as hydroelectric power, which would significantly reduce the nation’s reliance on LNG as a power source, he said.
His government would promote policies for zero waste, low-carbon emission foods and transportation networks, substitute device ownership with equivalent services and other policies to help promote a greener society, he said.
It would also establish an international consultant team to help the industrial transition to lower carbon emitting production methods to reduce the impact of “going green,” he added.
While the international community is striving to transition to net zero emissions, such an effort would inevitably harm others more, and the government should adopt a “no person/business left behind” mindset and assist all affected industries, he said.
Responding to criticism from New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential nominee that he did not attend the televised policy debate on net zero carbon emissions, Lai said that Greenpeace and the International Climate Development Institute confirmed that Lai had not definitively said he would attend and he could not fit the forum into his schedule.
Lai said that he had presented his view and policy platforms on climate change, and he could deliver a report immediately if he were at a debate podium.
Lai also criticized Hou for dodging questions by offering a milquetoast “I will do my best” while criticizing Lai’s policies, adding that Hou should make more constructive comments so voters could better understand Hou’s platform and policies.
Additional reporting by CNA
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