Taiwan Anti-Nuclear Group Opposes Plant Reopening

Residents in Yeliu, northern Taiwan, are advocating for the restart of a nuclear reactor to address electricity shortages. Coal currently provides 25% of the island's energy supply. The reactor in question was last commissioned three years ago. Local inhabitants view restarting the facility as the only viable solution to the power crisis. The head of a major anti-nuclear citizen association argues that Taiwan must not restart nuclear power due to geological fault risks and the trauma of the 2011 Fukushima accident. She cites the 2011 Fukushima earthquake and subsequent nuclear accident as a primary reason for caution. The spokesperson notes that Taiwan and Japan share similar seismic profiles due to frequent geological activity. She said that lessons from the Fukushima disaster must not be forgotten when evaluating new geological faults. The group maintains that the trauma of the accident remains a factor in public safety concerns. Groups maintain opposition to restarting nuclear plants due to high seismic activity in Taiwan. They argue plants remain located in high-risk urban areas similar to the Fukushima accident conditions. China's Taiwan Affairs Office is reportedly attempting to influence the energy autonomy debate.