The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) has proposed a referendum to restart the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant, with its No. 2 reactor set to be decommissioned on May 17. The proposal passed its second reading in the Legislature last week, drawing opposition from environmental groups over nuclear safety concerns.
Chairperson of Nuclear Safety Commission, Chen Min-Jen (陳明真) told reporters ahead of Thursday’s session of the Legislature’s Education and Culture Committee that the commission respects the Legislature’s decision. If the referendum is approved, Taiwan Power Company must submit an application. The commission would then assess whether safety standards are met and if nuclear waste can be managed properly before approving or rejecting the plan.
KMT Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) highlighted that in a 2022 op-ed, Chen warned of lagging green energy development and electricity instability, suggesting a delay of the nuclear-free policy until 2035. When asked if he still holds that view, Chen initially avoided a direct answer but later conceded that extending the deadline could ease power supply pressure.
Fellow KMT lawmaker Yeh Yuan-chih (葉元之) also asked about the status of finding a permanent nuclear waste disposal site. The head of the nuclear materials control division responded that no candidate sites have been identified and that the original goal of selecting a site by 2028 now appears unlikely to be met.