The mayor of Taichung demands that the demolition schedule of the central fire be made public, but ignores the responsibility for the delay in the gas-for-coal swap in the past

Taichung Mayor Lu Xiuyan recently asked the central government to disclose the dismantling schedule of medium-fire coal-fired units and chimneys, emphasizing the improvement of air pollution. However, China National Fire has now entered a critical stage of phasing out coal-fired operations and taking over gas-fired operations. What is more worth asking is: If improving air is indeed a policy goal, why did the "gas-for-coal" program get stuck in administrative delays in the past?

Taichung Mayor Lu Xiuyan recently asked the central government to disclose the dismantling schedule of the coal-fired units and chimneys of China Fire. However, China Fire has entered a critical stage of withdrawing from coal-fired operations and taking over the gas-fired power plant. The picture shows medium fire. (Provided by Taichung City Government)

In the past, the central-fire gas unit was delayed due to procedures such as the urban design review of the central government, and Taipower even had to seek solutions through central procedures. Although local governments have urban planning and environmental management authority, local autonomy is not without boundaries. Administrative discretion cannot only be based on whether the procedure is legal, but also whether it conforms to the public welfare purpose and the principle of proportionality. When administrative procedures delay the gas replacement plan originally used to reduce pollution, or even increase the time cost of the coal reduction transition, it is necessary to strictly examine whether its administrative discretion involves abuse of power.

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If Lu Xiuyan believes that coal-fired pollution must be reduced, the reasonable approach should be to improve environmental protection requirements, accelerate the construction of gas, and allow the pollution source to be converted as soon as possible, rather than letting the alternative plan be stuck in procedural delays for a long time. Now that gas units are gradually operating, coal-fired units have also entered the dismantling stage, which highlights the time cost of delay. Taichung’s air pollution cannot be explained by a single pollution source. Factors such as transportation, industry, construction dust, and overseas pollution should all be included in overall management. If environmental policies only target the most politically visible pollution sources, it will neither be able to fully understand the causes of pollution nor propose effective reduction plans. More importantly, in recent years, Taipower has reduced coal consumption by more than 6 million tons through load shedding, equipment improvement, and energy transformation. These achievements should not be selectively ignored. Environmental governance should be judged based on monitoring data, emission inventories, and actual reduction results. Local governments should also do a good job in transportation carbon reduction, industrial emissions, and dust control. They cannot push all the responsibilities to the central government at the first sign of air pollution, resulting in "localization of credit and centralization of responsibility."

Taiwan's power system spans administrative regions, and the health of Taichung people cannot become a political cash machine. The picture shows Taipower's ultra-high voltage power tower. (File photo)

Taiwan's power system spans administrative regions, and energy transformation is crucial to the country's power supply and industrial development. Local governments supervise China's energy sector in accordance with the law, but local autonomy is a division of powers and responsibilities, not a veto over national energy policies. The health of people in Taichung cannot become a political cash machine. Really responsible environmental management does not rely on political targets, but should restrict power by law, clarify pollution scientifically, and verify policies with reduction results.

(The author is a legal staff)