Taiwan Considers Keeping Nuclear Reactors on Emergency Standby

  • Government to maintain reactors if power tight: vice president
  • The island has planned to phase out nuclear power by 2025

The Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Gongliao, Taiwan.

Photographer: Lam Yik Fei/Getty Images 

Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Taiwan is considering keeping nuclear power plants on standby in case of emergencies, signaling a loosening of policy to phase out the energy source.

The government plans to maintain shut reactors so that they could be restarted in an emergency, Taipei-based United Daily News reported, citing Vice President Lai Ching-te, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate. It’s the first time the government has signaled it’s possible to restart plants, United Daily News said.