The international consensus is drifting toward embracing nuclear energy, and Taiwan’s politicians, regardless of political camp, should also reconsider their stance on the controversial issue, former US secretary of energy Steven Chu (朱棣文) said yesterday at the Forum on the Power for Sustainable Economic Development in Taipei.
Nuclear power is a controversial issue in Taiwan, but other countries are again choosing it as a preferred option, Chu said.
Chu cited a shift in the US, in which the California governor had pledged to shut down two nuclear power plants, but ultimately agreed to extend the licenses for both plants for two decades.
Photo: CNA
Nuclear power provides energy security, especially when there is no wind and sunlight is weak, he said, adding that “those in the know should give voice to their opinions.”
In terms of nuclear power safety, Chu said to look at the mortality statistics for every kilowatt-hour of electricity generated, stating that the highest mortality rate was held by burning brown coal, followed, in descending order, by coal, diesel, biomass, liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydroelectricity, wind and, finally, nuclear energy.
Global tech giants such as Meta, Google, Amazon and Microsoft are also evaluating the possibility of using nuclear power, as data centers consume a lot of power, Chu said.
Commenting on net zero goals, Chu said a UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report concluded that one-quarter of greenhouse gases originated from electricity and heat generation.
The overhead required to develop renewable energy has continued to drop, Chu said, adding that photoelectric power generation overhead has decreased by 80 percent in the past decade, while land-based wind turbines have decreased by 38 percent in the same timeframe.
Forty to 60 percent of electricity would be generated by wind or solar sources by 2040, he said.
However, the power sources are intermittent and would create significant stress on the power grid, he added.
Taiwan’s power grid would need to rely on demand response measures, employ artificial intelligence and establish low-cost energy storage facilities, such as pumped-storage hydroelectricity facilities, to ease the stress on its grid, Chu said.
Taiwan must be aware of the threat of foreign powers damaging LNG pipes to destabilize its power grid, he said.
Even if renewable power comprised 50 percent of Taiwan’s power generation, the remaining half is generated by coal-fired or LNG sources, the latter of which is expensive, while Taiwan has insufficient storage facilities, he said.
At Taiwan’s current storage capacity, the nation would only have 10 days of LNG supply, making it a severe energy security issue if Taiwan was to be cut off, Chu added.
READY: The CGA said it closely monitored China’s maritime exercise, deployed vessels to shadow the Chinese ships one-on-one and set up emergency response centers Chinese navy and coast guard ships have returned to China, signaling the end of a massive maritime exercise, authorities said yesterday. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) released images it said showed Chinese vessels sailing north in rough seas past Taiwan on Thursday, on their way to China. “All the Chinese coast guard went back to China yesterday, so although they have not officially made any announcement, we consider it over,” CGA Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said. Beijing has not confirmed the drills and the Chinese Ministry of National Defense did not say whether the maneuvers had taken place when asked at a
People can take the Taipei MRT free of charge if they access it at Nanjing Sanmin Station or Taipei Arena Station on the Green Line between 12am and 6am on Jan. 1, the Taipei Department of Transportation said on Friday, outlining its plans to ease crowding during New Year’s events in the capital. More than 200,000 people are expected to attend New Year’s Eve events in Taipei, with singer A-mei (張惠妹) performing at the Taipei Dome and the city government’s New Year’s Eve party at Taipei City Hall Plaza, the department said. As people have tended to use the MRT’s Blue or
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Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
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