Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua has dismissed claims that Taiwan will not have enough energy to meet demand in 2022. During a referendum on Saturday, people voted against reactivating Taiwan's fourth nuclear power plant. Wang addressed energy shortage concerns on Monday during a report to the legislature.
Wang says that Taiwan's energy supply is stable and that, even if voters voted to reactivate the nuclear plant, it would not have been able to generate power by next year.
Wang says that safety is the top priority when it comes to discussions about nuclear power. She says the fourth nuclear plant would have caused problems in the long-term. Wang says the government is looking at other options to secure Taiwan's power grid.
Wang says that authorities will consult with Taiwan Power Company on how to handle the mothballed fourth nuclear plant. She says local government and public opinions are also important to her. Wang says the government will move forward with deconstructing the plant after thorough discussions and taking all perspectives into account.