Taiwan Chip Lobby Backs Review of Nuclear Restart
The Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association (TSIA) said on Oct. 29 that it supports the government's efforts to assess a possible restart of the country's nuclear power plants. Chairman Cliff Hou made the remarks at the association's 30th anniversary convention in Hsinchu. Hou is also a senior vice president at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker.
Hou said the industry had repeatedly called on the government to ensure a reliable power supply. For fabs running around the clock, he said, a stable and sufficient electricity supply is essential to sustaining chip production. Reuters, Yahoo and Taipei Times all carried his remarks from the convention.
TSIA projected Taiwan's overall semiconductor production value would exceed NT$9.1 trillion in 2026, up 40.9% from NT$6.5 trillion in 2025. Local outlets including Central News Agency and TechNews reported the same forecast. The association said Taiwan now ranks first globally by output in wafer manufacturing and in packaging and testing, and second in IC design. One outlet, cnyes, separately put TSIA member output at more than NT$5.3 trillion, up 22% from NT$4.3 trillion at the end of 2025, reflecting a narrower member-based count.
Taiwan closed its last nuclear power plant in May 2025 as it shifted toward renewables and liquefied natural gas. In September 2026 the Nuclear Safety Commission said it had finished reviewing an initial plan to restart the Maanshan plant in Pingtung. State utility Taipower, which filed the restart application in March 2026, must complete additional safety inspections before submitting a further report. Central News Agency reporting cited 2028 as the earliest possible resumption of generation, while Taipower has said indoor dry storage at Maanshan could be ready as early as 2031.
President Lai Ching-te said earlier this month that his government would not rule out any form of energy, including nuclear, as long as safety, nuclear waste disposal and public consensus requirements were met. He repeated a pragmatic, safety-based line in his Oct. 10 address. The opposition Kuomintang wants to bring nuclear power back. Thirty-four environmental groups issued a joint statement in late September raising concerns about the Maanshan review.
Forbes Asia Pacific and ABC News link the policy shift to rising demand from semiconductors, artificial intelligence and data centers. The government expects electricity use to grow about 2.5% a year. Taiwan imports about 96% of its energy. An energy research note from the University of Pennsylvania said the government announced a roughly US$13 billion energy subsidy package for Taipower and CPC in October 2026 to keep consumer prices steady. Whether Maanshan returns will depend on safety checks, waste handling and broader political agreement.