Water and Power Shortage: Where is Tsai Administration's "Advance Deployment？"
United Daily News, March 13, 2021
The administration of President Tsai Ing-wen has recently encountered a series of governance crises, from construction by the CPC Corporation of the third liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal, which could harm the ecology of the Datan algal reefs along the coast of Taoyuan, to the present water shortage, the biggest challenge for Taiwanese industry in the first half of 2021. Consequently, the swirl of public discontent with the government grows wider. The Tsai administration still responded arrogantly. First of all, it boasted that its policies were well-formulated out and ahead of schedule, launching an overwhelming campaign of comic pictures and cyber-armies to defend itself. Second, the Tsai administration threw mud at those who held different views. Finally, it put the blame on the previous administration. In short, the Tsai administration has refused to self-reflect, let alone adjust its policy direction.
Taiwan is facing the most severe drought in seven decades. In the past six months, a quarter of Taiwan's farmland has been lying fallow one by one due to lack of water. Recently, the water shortage has become more and more critical, and the Taoyuan-Taichung-Miaoli area has started to implement pressure reduction of water supply. As a result, the industrial water supply of Hsinchu Science Park was also greatly affected. While Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua recently asked manufacturers to dig wells to fight drought, she was accused of being against common sense and in violation of environmental impact assessment law and regulations. Almost at the same time, the Ministry of Science and Technology smacked Minister Wang in the face by expressing that no well shall be drilled in industrial areas.
The drought has protracted for more than 10 months now, and the affected sectors have spread from agriculture to industry. It was starting to impact on water supply for people’s livelihood. Last October, the drought was so severe that the central government set up a disaster response center. In the end, nothing was solved. Recently, the drought-ravaged Taichung and Miaoli have started to prepare for a "five days to supply water while other two days off" drill. Was this how a government which boasted of "advanced deployment" muddled along?
The water supply is in trouble, so is the electricity supply. The "pink storm" caused by the algal reef referendum is also a notable incident that put the Tsai government which advocated "advanced deployment" on blast. Before assuming the presidency, Tsai and her followers in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had hyped the algal reef issue to accumulate their political energy, promising the "perpetual preservation of algal reefs", which captured the hearts and minds of the environmentalists and local people. But after Tsai coming to power, the said promise of "perpetual preservation of algal reefs" has become "perpetual preservation of political power". If the Tsai administration had not been perfunctory about the algal reef, how could more than 600,000 people showed up to sign a petition for referendum?
The deep-seated factor causing the algal reef crisis lay in the fact that the Tsai administration implemented its inappropriate energy policies. In just eight years, it was extremely difficult to achieve the goal of "50-percent natural gas and 20-percent green energy"; after five years, all the projects in this regard were so behind. Therefore, the Tsai administration can only throw all its hopes on natural gas. It insisted that the third LNG receiving terminal not only must be built but also be built quickly. In such a mentality of gamblers, how would the Tsai administration seek to dialogue with the environmental groups? If the Tsai administration loses the referendum, the problem of power shortage will naturally emerge. It has to find a total solution rather than draw a veil over it.
Minister Wang has already warned that if the third LNG receiving terminal is not established, northern Taiwan will suffer from power shortages, and coal-fired power generation plants will have to increase its production by then. The public has actually heard a lot of such threats. But the bigger question is: in order to maintain stable power supply in Taiwan, why can't President Tsai modify her energy policies? She could break her promises of "perpetual preservation of algal reefs" and "no power shortage" commitments, was it difficult for her to adjust her own wrong policies?
The Tsai administration said that if the third LNG receiving terminal is relocated elsewhere, it will be too slow to meet a pressing need. In fact, it was the Tsai administration itself that has killed the nuclear energy option. Regardless of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant which has not yet operated, the licenses of the existing nuclear power plants can be extended for another several years in order to save the 7,500-year-old algal reefs. If the August referendum on the protection of the algal reefs is passed, can the Tsai administration turn a deaf ear to it? If not, what will become of a government that does not even care about the referendum?
From scarcity of water to possible lack of electricity which the Tsai administration cannot handle, it is a symptom of a dysfunctional government. After constantly boasting of its advance deployment, complete planning, and full-fledged communication, the government is in danger of even the most basic water and power supply. How sad!