President Ma Ying-jeou says that Taiwan cannot afford to do away with any source of energy. Ma was speaking Wednesday at the Mingtan Power Plant, a hydroelectric plant located in Nantou County, central Taiwan.
"What is a good mix - an energy mix? It must be appropriately balanced in order to succeed. Otherwise, there will not be enough energy to go around. The most important thing is not to give up any options. It’s not possible to increase hydroelectric output in Taiwan," said Ma. "There are no more [suitable] rivers. Under these circumstances, we must strive to develop renewable energy sources. Everyone knows that this is a partial solution. There’s no way to replace the base load of fossil fuels and nuclear energy. No matter who takes office in the future, figuring out an appropriate balance will be a very severe challenge that we must face."
Ma was speaking on the second day of a two-day tour centered on the theme of reducing energy consumption and carbon footprints.