Social, Environmental and Economical Issues of Electrical Generation in Taiwan

Abstract

As a country enjoying one of the fast growing economies of the world in the last decade, the installed power generation capacity in Taiwan lagged behind its economical growth to a great extent during this period. The reserve generation capacity dropped to a record low of 4.8% in 1991 and 6.7% in 1992. As a result, power interruptions occurred fourteen times in 1991 and two times in 1992. The construction of new generating units, together with improvements in energy management and energy conservation are among the top priorities facing Taiwan today in seeking for sustained future economical growth. To meet this challenge, the government-owned utility developed a ten year development plan aiming at providing sufficient, reliable and low-cost electricity island wide. The program called for a best power generation mix among hydro, coal, oil, gas and nuclear power, considering cost, environmental and social issues. Upon completion, the predicted reserve capacity will reach a much healthier 20%. In this paper, details of the program in the aspects of cost, environmental and social implications will be discussed. Results from a multi-objective programming study by a local university will be briefly presented. As 93% of the total energy supplies are imported from abroad, the semi-indigenous energy source of nuclear power is particularly important to Taiwan in terms of long-term energy security and cost stability. However, social issues involved with the development of new nuclear stations have, to some extent, encumbered these advantages. Special discussion on these social issues on nuclear energy will also be presented.