Taiwan didn’t cross an August referendum on whether or not or not a nuclear plant ought to be restarted, if it have been deemed protected to function. Whereas the greater than 4 million votes for “sure” outnumbered the greater than 1.5 million “no” votes, the variety of affirmative votes didn’t surpass the 25 p.c threshold of eligible voters additionally required for the referendum to cross. Because of this, Taiwan stays on the nuclear-free path it has adopted because the shutdown of the nuclear plant in query, Maanshan nuclear energy plant, in southern Taiwan on 17 Might, fulfilling a 2016 authorities pledge made on account of Japan’s 2011 Fukushima catastrophe.
Nevertheless, high-tech industries together with semiconductor manufacturing, AI knowledge facilities and AI infrastructure operators, will proceed fueling electrical energy demand. The query stays as as to whether or not Taiwan can ship dependable, clear energy to assist the expansion of those industries amid Chinese language geopolitical strain—and with out nuclear vitality.
Taiwan’s vitality panorama stays advanced. Nuclear energy, developed because the Nineteen Seventies, has seen older reactors retired since 2018. Taiwan imports 95 p.c of its vitality and has a rising reliance on pure fuel. Nevertheless it additionally goals to cut back carbon emissions, enhance grid reliability, and develop its vitality storage choices.
“With out vitality, there’s no industrial development… and nuclear is a wonderful choice,” NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang stated throughout a pre-referendum go to to Taipei on 22 August. He met with key gamers in high-tech provide chains, together with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Firm (TSMC), the world’s largest chip foundry producing superior chips for smartphones, high-performance computing, and AI functions.
It was not Huang’s first time advocating for nuclear vitality. Throughout Computex Taipei in Might he stated, “We want vitality from any single supply: wind, photo voltaic, nuclear. Taiwan ought to completely spend money on nuclear, and it shouldn’t be a stigma to have vitality.”
Nvidia has been increasing in Taiwan, partnering with Foxconn and the federal government to construct a ten,000-Blackwell GPU AI coaching and supercomputing facility within the south, opening a bigger Taipei workplace, and collaborating with Taiwanese firms reminiscent of TSMC to construct an AI infrastructure ecosystem.
Taiwan president Lai Ching-te promised to honor the referendum end result whereas specializing in numerous vitality sources. He stated Taiwan would possibly think about superior nuclear choices if expertise improves, waste decreases, and public assist grows.
In late August, the federal government accredited a draft piece of laws, the AI Primary Act, designed to create a supportive setting for AI improvement and use. The draft emphasizes the federal government’s position in selling AI analysis, functions, and infrastructure. In the meantime, the newly reshuffled Cupboard is underneath strain by business and the broader public to take care of vitality safety.
In mid-September, newly appointed Minister of Financial Affairs Ming-hsin Kung emphasised that Taiwan is a worldwide hub for chips and expertise, shaping methods for the following 10 to twenty years.
Kung confused that companies require each steady energy provide and inexperienced vitality to fulfill commitments to one hundred pc renewable vitality from international company initiative RE110. He stated the brand new Cupboard will proceed specializing in renewable vitality whereas adjusting rollout velocity. The objective is to elevate renewables to 20 p.c of Taiwan’s energy provide by the tip of 2026—a difficult goal vital in holding Taiwan aggressive in international provide chains. He estimated renewable vitality will account for round 15 p.c of energy technology by the tip of 2025, up from 11.9 p.c in 2024.
A wind turbine and its solar energy system are seen at Taipower Exhibit Middle in Pingtung, in Southern Taiwan on 29 April, 2025.I-Hwa Cheng/AFP/Getty Photographs
For photo voltaic, Kung pledged to strengthen current tasks, resolve land-use conflicts with fish farms in solar-fishery initiatives, and substitute older photo voltaic panels with newer ones that produce twice as a lot vitality. Offshore wind development might be accelerated, and a trial program for floating wind generators will resume. Taiwan can even actively develop different inexperienced vitality sources, reminiscent of geothermal and hydrogen.
On nuclear, Kung reaffirmed Taiwan’s nuclear-free path however left open the potential of adopting superior applied sciences like small modular reactors. Tips for evaluating potential restarts of current crops might be launched by the tip of October. Step one will see the Taiwan Energy Firm (Taipower) conducting assessments of all three halted nuclear crops, with preliminary outcomes due subsequent 12 months. Maanshan, which started industrial operations in 1984, is considered the most certainly to cross the security self-assessments, which is able to deal with the power to take care of getting older tools and improve earthquake resilience.
In a report launched on 26 September, Taiwan’s Vitality Administration tasks electrical energy demand to develop 1.7 p.c yearly from 2025 to 2034. The forecast elements in expansions to Taiwan’s semiconductor business, investments in AI improvement, and anticipated vitality financial savings.
To satisfy rising energy demand, the federal government presently plans to spice up pure fuel technology whereas phasing out giant nuclear, coal, and oil crops. Internet additions of 12.2 gigawatts in gas-fired capability are anticipated by 2034.
Semiconductor Trade Considerations
However high-tech industries specific concern. In early September, at SEMICON Taiwan, Charles Lee, the managing director of Topco Group, a significant semiconductor provider, informed IEEE Spectrum that producers fear about grid stability as AI and semiconductor development accelerates. “Extremely polluting coal-fired crops are not an choice, so we are going to rely extra on liquefied pure fuel and less-stable renewables. If nuclear crops could possibly be restarted, I might personally welcome it,” Lee says.
In the meantime, a reminiscence manufacturing director, who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of he isn’t approved by his firm to talk to the media, informed IEEE Spectrum that Taiwan’s economic system remains to be manufacturing-driven. “We’re involved in regards to the low effectivity of inexperienced vitality. We’ve additionally seen a development overseas, with international locations resuming nuclear plant development,” he says.
In a televised debate forward of the August referendum, Tzu-Hsien Tung, chairman of Pegatron Company, voiced assist for restarting nuclear energy crops. He warned that if Taiwan continues to depend on carbon-heavy electrical energy, native corporations may face steep carbon taxes abroad, undermining their international competitiveness.
AI server samples are displayed on the Zhen Ding Tech Group sales space in the course of the Semicon Taiwan exhibition in Taipei on September 10, 2025.I-Hwa Cheng/AFP/Getty Photographs
As Taiwanese society debated whether or not to restart nuclear energy crops, some Taiwanese vitality consultants, together with Tze-Luen Lin, deputy government director of the Taiwanese authorities’s Workplace of Vitality and Carbon Discount and a political science professor at Nationwide Taiwan College, have referred to as for recent approaches to Taiwan’s vitality resilience amid ongoing Chinese language threats, echoing to notions introduced by non-governmental organizations and thinkthanks, reminiscent of the U.S.-based Middle for Local weather and Safety, {that a} clear vitality transition can strengthen nationwide safety.
On the Society for Environmental Economics and Coverage Research convention in Japan on 21 September, Lin highlighted that renewable vitality is central to each vitality and nationwide safety. He emphasised, “Vitality resilience can solely be strengthened by decentralized, regionally sourced renewables, mixed with microgrids and vitality storage,” and warned that enormous, centralized energy crops are simpler targets for assault.
Commenting on Taiwan’s doable nuclear choices, Jusen Asuka, a professor at Tohoku College and chair of the session within the convention, cautioned that SMRs stay immature and expensive, and investing closely in them may sluggish renewable vitality improvement. improvement.
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