President Ma Ying-jeou says that Taiwan cannot afford to do away with any source of energy. Ma was speaking Friday while discussing the issue of nuclear power with students at National Taipei University of Technology.
Ma said that the government is dependent on coal and natural gas for the bulk of its energy supply. Only a small percentage is covered by renewable energy sources. Ma said that while the government has been pushing to increase the use of renewables, Taiwan must have enough energy to meet any contingency.
Ma said that Japan ended its ban on nuclear power because of the high cost of importing enough natural gas to fill the gap in its power grid. Ma said that the Japanese Yen depreciated two days after the country’s mass imports of natural gas began. He said this shows that Taiwan must not abandon any source of energy lightly.
Ma asked students whether they support prioritizing the scrapping of nuclear energy at the expense of cutting carbon emissions. Only three of the hundred or so students present raised their hands.