Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) did not indicate an intent to change the government’s stance on a “nuclear-free homeland” during an interview with Nikkei, Executive Yuan spokesman Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said yesterday.
Nuclear power “can be discussed” as a solution to meet the artificial intelligence industry’s energy demand, an interview published by the Japanese financial newspaper quoted Cho as saying on Saturday.
A week after that, the China Times published a report saying Cho’s comments meant the government has “relented on the issue of nuclear energy.”
Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times
The premier did not say the government would reactivate any of the nation’s nuclear reactors by 2030, Chen told a news conference after the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday.
A nuclear-free homeland is the law of the land from which national policy must not deviate, he said.
The Executive Yuan’s energy policy remains focused on completing ongoing power plant and infrastructure projects on time and within the specified quality standards, Chen said.
The nation cannot neglect the issue of nuclear waste disposal in any discussion regarding future energy options, he said, adding that pragmatism and reason are needed in confronting this problem.
The premier’s stance is to be open to discussions about exploring new sources of electricity, including solar, wind, hydraulic, geothermal and hydrogenic energy, but no decision would be made without first achieving a consensus in Taiwanese society, Chen said.
The Executive Yuan deeply regrets certain domestic media’s deliberate use of misleading headlines that impeded rational discourse and the nation’s economic development, he added.
The government’s energy policy has been zigzagging between ridding the nation of nuclear energy and being open to discussions, Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said yesterday.
The government should clearly explain its stance on nuclear energy to dispel the mounting uncertainty which has clouded Taiwanese confidence and the industry’s ability to plan for the future, Chiang said.
Separately, Taoyuan Mayor Simon Chang (張善政) yesterday said that nuclear energy has come a long way from the Chernobyl disaster, and that discussions about the energy’s potential use should be based on objective assessments of its safety and efficiency.
Asked whether the Democratic Progressive Party has changed its stance, Chang said views surrounding the technology could and should keep pace with the speed at which technological advances occur.
Additional reporting by Cheng Shu-ting
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