[Reporter Lin Jinghua/Taipei Report] The second opinion conference on the 22nd nationwide referendum was held on the 14th. Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Lai Jianxin, who attended the meeting on behalf of the Executive Yuan, emphasized that non-nuclear power has not hindered Taiwan's economic development, and there is no inevitable causal relationship between the use of nuclear power and economic growth. Lai Jianxin said that the government has always maintained pragmatism and flexibility in the use of nuclear power, but firmly opposed the reduction of highly professional nuclear safety issues into general referendum articles. The restart of nuclear power should return to legal procedures, scientific verification and professional review.
Lai Jianxin pointed out at the press conference that according to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the real GDP growth rates of France, South Korea and Japan, the three countries that use nuclear power, last year were 0.9%, 1.1% and 1.2% respectively. It can be seen that the use of nuclear power does not equal economic growth. On the other hand, Taiwan's economic growth rate last year still surged to 8.76% after the shutdown of Unit 2 of Nuclear Power Plant No. 3 and the country's economic growth rate exceeded 11% this year. This also proves that economic development is the result of our various industries. In addition to fully supporting the technology industry, the government also strengthens the industrial competitiveness of small, medium and micro enterprises and traditional industries. Taiwan's economic prosperity depends on technological upgrading, the strength of the industrial chain and the government's full support for the grassroots. Nuclear power is not a panacea for revitalizing the economy.
In response to concerns about power supply stability from all walks of life, Lai Jianxin also said that since the outbreak of the Middle East War, the peak backup capacity rate has remained above 10% during the day and above 7% at night, and the power supply has continued to remain stable. In addition, after the shutdown of Nuclear Unit 3-2 last year, the amount of overseas investment in the second half of 2014 exceeded US$5.9 billion, an increase of 24.32% over the same period in 2013, which further proves the international high confidence in Taiwan's investment environment including power supply.
In response to the global AI wave, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has made advance arrangements and regularly reviewed power supply and demand. It is widely estimated that the average annual growth rate of electricity consumption between 115 and 2012 will be 2.5%. It is estimated that the peak demand at night in 2035 will be 47.9GW, and the total power supply of green power and newly built power plants is planned to be 59GW, ensuring safe power supply.
Regarding electricity prices, Lai Jianxin also clarified that the main reason for electricity price fluctuations is changes in international fuel prices. Historical data shows that nuclear power accounted for as high as 17.13% in 2008. However, at that time, electricity prices rose sharply due to the increase in international oil prices. The annual average increase reached a record high of 25.2%, which is enough to prove that nuclear power has a limited impact on electricity prices. In addition, with the active promotion of energy transformation in recent years, my country's renewable energy installation volume has exceeded 25GW, and the scale of offshore wind power has ranked fifth in the world. In line with the policy direction of replacing coal with gas, air pollution emissions from thermal power plants have been significantly reduced by about 70% in the past decade, demonstrating the results of energy transformation that balance stable power supply, stable electricity prices, and environmental sustainability.
Regarding the stance on nuclear power, Lai Jianxin also reiterated the three principles of "nuclear safety, nuclear waste solutions, and social consensus." Currently, Taipower Corporation has submitted the "Reoperation Plan for the Third Nuclear Plant" to the Nuclear Safety Commission in accordance with the law. After more than 600 review comments and responses and clarifications one by one, the review was completed by the Nuclear Safety Commission on September 24. Nuclear energy safety involves highly professional and cross-generational responsibilities such as earthquake faults, equipment aging, and final disposal of nuclear waste. Power plants require professional assessments and careful plans, rather than conceptual power points. The nuclear three restart procedures have been carried out step by step on the track of the rule of law. We call on the public to support the return of nuclear energy issues to the rule of law, science, and professionalism, rather than repeatedly handling them in the form of referendums and reducing them to political operations.
