Taiwan is set to vote on restarts for the Ma-anshan nuclear power plant as part of a national referendum on August 23rd. The Ma-anshan plant was previously decommissioned in May, after the end of its planned 40-year lifespan.
The referendum was a measure pushed for by the KMT as part of its pro-nuclear advocacy. What does this say about the issue of nuclear power at present? The past decade saw significant protests against nuclear energy, particularly given concerns that Taiwan’s frequent seismic activity could result in an incident similar to the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan.
The history of anti-nuclear activism in Taiwan is deeply rooted in the broader history of democratization. But, to this extent, the referendum takes place at a time in which the DPP has begun to shift on its traditional opposition to nuclear energy.
What are the political stakes for nuclear energy in Taiwan at present? Where do the two parties currently stand on nuclear energy? To discuss these issues, we invite Wei Yang of the Taiwan Climate Action Network for a talk.
Date: 8/16, 7 PM
Location: DAYBREAK (Bangka Boulevard, No. 110, 1F, Wanhua District, Taipei)/破曉咖啡 (台北市萬華區艋舺大道110號1樓)
Entry: 100 NT
Photo: tomscy2000/WikiCommons/CC BY 2.0
[Speaker]
Wei Yang (魏揚) is currently a researcher at the Taiwan Climate Action Network, focusing on energy transition, net-zero transition policies, just transition, and beyond growth initiatives.
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