Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant, Taiwan. Photo by Jnlin
By Jo Nova
The energy situation is flipping on a dime around the world
Political entities are waking up to the need for reliable mass power. Consider the whiplash in Taiwan. They closed the last of six nuclear reactors on May 17th, marking the end of a nuclear era that started in 1970. But, hey ho, two weeks later, they’ve decided to hold a referendum on whether to restart the same plant. The vote is set for August 23.
Taiwan Plans Referendum on Nuclear Energy Reversal
Taiwan will hold in August a referendum on whether the just-shuttered last nuclear reactor should be restarted once safety checks are completed, in a major reversal of the country’s policy amid energy security concerns.
Since 2018, Taiwan has shut down four other nuclear reactors and cancelled construction of two others following a referendum in 2021.
Earlier this month, Taiwan’s Parliament amended the country’s nuclear power act to allow plant operators to apply for a 20-year license renewal beyond the existing 40-year limit. This legislative amendment effectively opens the door to restarting nuclear power plants in the country.
The reasons given for reopening the plant are both the escalation in energy needs for Taiwan’s silicon chip industry (is that code for “AI”?), and heightened fears of a military blockade from China. Because the plant needs to be comprehensively checked for safety, apparently it may be three years before it is operational again.
A country torn between Net Zero goals, and aggression from China
Apparently the Taiwanese government was full bore on the sacred green goals in 2016 (and wouldn’t that suit Beijing?) but lately things have got too hot and people are starting to add up the security risks of being on an island where 97% of the energy is imported.
In the new uncertain world, suddenly coal is better than gas (it’s easier to store) and old nuclear plants are an asset.
Taiwan worsens its vulnerability to a Chinese energy blockade
Jane Rickards, The Strategist, ASPI
Lai’s government is understandably concerned about energy security, as at least 97 percent of the island’s energy is imported. But it also wants to reduce carbon emissions, having established a goal of net-zero by 2050. The Taiwanese government views LNG as a cleaner type of energy and is phasing out the widespread use of coal. Natural gas powered 32 percent of Taiwan’s electricity in 2016. The figure rose to 42 percent last year, and Lai is pushing for it to reach 50 percent by 2030. The drive for LNG grew following Donald Trump’s election as US President. Taiwan plans buy more US LNG over the next decade to help reduce its trade surplus with the United States.
However, LNG is difficult to store long term, which would create problems in the event of a quarantine or blockade. Taiwan is densely populated and has limited space for the fuel’s expensive storage infrastructure. Lu Tsaiying, an energy expert with Taiwan’s Research Institute for Democracy Society and Emerging Technology, notes that Taiwan holds enough LNG for 12 days’ ordinary consumption. In contrast, the coal stock is enough for 42 days and the crude oil stock for 146 days.
Lu predicts that coal, which currently powers 39 percent of Taiwan’s electricity, and renewables, powering 12 percent, would be the main sources of energy during a blockade, quarantine or even a war.
In the world we thought we lived in, trading partners didn’t do naked industrial sabotage
In an extraordinary move Chinese Communist Party appears to be actively cutting and damaging submarine cables around Taiwan — with accidents involving Chinese controlled ships that change names frequently and are registered in foreign countries.
In a grey war, there is always plausible deniability, but Taiwan have arrested at least one captain and charged him accordingly.
Countering China’s Subsea Cable Sabotage
by Gahon Chia-Hung Chiang, staff of Legislator Kuan-Ting Chen, Taiwan
China’s illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive (ICAD) activities pose a mounting threat to global democracies, with subsea cable sabotage emerging as a particularly alarming tactic. These fiber-optic cables, which carry over 99 percent of global internet traffic, form the backbone of modern communication networks—underpinning economic transactions, defense coordination, and digital infrastructure.
In early 2025, the Xingshun 39 (興順39), a Tanzania-flagged vessel controlled by a Chinese entity, deliberately severed subsea cables near Keelung, disrupting Taiwan’s external communications….
Just weeks later, in late February 2025 another incident occurred when the Hongtai 58 (宏泰58)—a Togolese-registered cargo vessel suspected of having a Chinese crew—severed Taiwan’s third subsea cable linking Taiwan and Penghu.
These were not isolated incidents, but rather part of a troubling persistent pattern. According to Chunghwa Telecom, in 2023 cables connecting Taiwan and the Matsu Islands—Taiwan’s off-shore islands near China—were severed 12 times, resulting in repair costs of NTD $96.4 million (USD $2.9 million). [1] While China has consistently denied involvement, the pattern of repeated cable disruptions, which align with its strategy of leveraging civilian assets for military purposes, suggests a concerted effort to degrade Taiwan’s ability to maintain stable digital infrastructure.
The brazen hostility would be enough to make even a crazy nation think about national security instead of fixing the weather 100 years from now. Given that a Chinese ship recently circumnavigated Australia following our submarine cable network, maybe we should be too?