Failed Nuclear Vote Leaves Taiwan in an Energy Conundrum

The failure of a weekend vote to restart a key nuclear plant in Taiwan is an apparent win for the island’s ruling party, but one that leaves the government scrambling to satisfy energy security concerns and the growing demands of a vital chip industry.

Some 74% of those who voted in a referendum backed the return of the Maanshan nuclear plant, shuttered earlier this year. That’s a significant change from 2021, when voters struck down a proposal to open the mothballed Lungmen plant. Still, the affirmative vote did not meet the threshold of 25% of eligible voters required for the opposition-backed referendum to pass and, ultimately, to provide a route to the widespread use of atomic power.