Towards Energy Independence:
No Options off the Table
By ｜ Kolas Yotaka
Recently, debates over Taiwan’s energy policy — entangled with the mass recall campaigns and the referendum on extending Nuclear Plant No. 3 — have become deeply polarized along party lines. Energy has turned into a zero-sum game: if there is solar, there cannot be nuclear; if there is nuclear, there cannot be wind. The arguments spin in circles, leaving us dizzy but no closer to a solution — this kind of black-and-white debate is both dangerous and irresponsible. Meanwhile, U.S. and Chinese military experts warn that if the CCP imposes an energy blockade, Taiwan would not be able to hold out. International warnings keep coming, yet at home we argue endlessly, with neither side willing to engage in a serious strategic discussion on energy. The iceberg is right in front of us, but we carry on recklessly. This should trouble us all.
The Russia–Ukraine war has now dragged on for more than three years, and lately Russia has shifted its targets toward energy infrastructure, launching large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s power grid. Few expected that bread prices in Ukraine would rise by an average of 25% — not because the war caused a wheat shortage, but because repeated strikes on energy facilities have sent electricity and logistics costs soaring. Rising costs for flour, power, and wages have all pushed prices up. Local farmers say that destroying energy is even more devastating than destroying agriculture, as the war has already transformed into an energy and economic war. But with bread prices rising, are bakeries making more money? Of course not — many are losing money. Local media report that soaring electricity prices and production costs have forced many bakeries to operate at a loss. Bread is Ukraine’s staple food, as central to daily life there as rice is in Taiwan. It is hard to imagine what would happen if rice prices in Taiwan suddenly jumped by 25%.
No form of energy should be discarded in difficult times — including nuclear. Scholars at the University of Pennsylvania point out that Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are 100 times smaller than traditional reactors, offering mobility like a transportable “nuclear battery.” They can be loaded onto trucks, deployed at different facilities, and run for 8 to 12 years once connected. Linking 100 such reactors together could power AI data centers, and even if one unit fails, 99% of the electricity supply would remain intact. According to Goldman Sachs, if SMR technology advances to the stage of mass deployment, future energy costs will decline.
You can embrace nuclear power, or you can oppose it — but energy choices should not be treated as a matter of blind faith. People from all sides need to sit down together and engage in a serious debate based on real scientific data, real political pressures, and real public fears. Speak honestly, deliberate carefully, and find practical strategies to withstand a potential Chinese energy blockade.
I have a concrete proposal: the president should convene a National Energy Security Conference, broadcast live in its entirety. The agenda should include:
1.Restructuring the national energy mix of fossil fuels, renewables, and nuclear.
2.Establishing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for energy procurement and transport with Indo-Pacific democracies such as the U.S., Japan, and Australia.
3.Creating a wartime-ready blueprint for the national power grid.
4.Developing a plan to decentralize electricity infrastructure.
5.Advancing highly mobile energy technologies such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and exploring on investing nuclear fusion.
6.Return to the professional recommendation made 30 years ago: don’t shift the burden onto remote Indigenous communities, and coordinate to permanently relocate nuclear waste from Lanyu to Xiaoqiu, an uninhabited islet in Wuqiu Township, Kinmen — the most suitable storage site.
Since the start of the war, Ukraine has lost 70% of its power generation capacity. Russia’s attacks on energy may look like strikes against electricity alone, but in reality they also cripple agriculture and the wider economy. Taiwan must not fall into the same trap. Could what happened in Ukraine happen here? No — because when Ukraine faced blackouts, it could still import electricity overland from its neighbors. Taiwan, if blockaded, would have no such lifeline. To safeguard its sovereignty and economic security, Taiwan must achieve energy independence — only then can it better withstand Beijing’s military threats.
As I traveled in Germany researching energy industries and policies, I had to switch to an Uber because public transport could not reach my destination. On the autobahn, with no speed limit, the driver accelerated past 170 km/h, quickly catching up to a truck ahead. As if by chance, on the back of the truck was a bright warning sticker that read: “No War.” Seeing it, the driver eased off the gas.
No, No War. The fight is not between us, but against the dangers we face — and for solutions.
The Russia–Ukraine war has now dragged on for more than three years, and lately Russia has shifted its targets toward energy infrastructure, launching large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s power grid. Few expected that bread prices in Ukraine would rise by an average of 25% — not because the war caused a wheat shortage, but because repeated strikes on energy facilities have sent electricity and logistics costs soaring. Rising costs for flour, power, and wages have all pushed prices up. Local farmers say that destroying energy is even more devastating than destroying agriculture, as the war has already transformed into an energy and economic war. But with bread prices rising, are bakeries making more money? Of course not — many are losing money. Local media report that soaring electricity prices and production costs have forced many bakeries to operate at a loss. Bread is Ukraine’s staple food, as central to daily life there as rice is in Taiwan. It is hard to imagine what would happen if rice prices in Taiwan suddenly jumped by 25%.
No form of energy should be discarded in difficult times — including nuclear. Scholars at the University of Pennsylvania point out that Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are 100 times smaller than traditional reactors, offering mobility like a transportable “nuclear battery.” They can be loaded onto trucks, deployed at different facilities, and run for 8 to 12 years once connected. Linking 100 such reactors together could power AI data centers, and even if one unit fails, 99% of the electricity supply would remain intact. According to Goldman Sachs, if SMR technology advances to the stage of mass deployment, future energy costs will decline.
You can embrace nuclear power, or you can oppose it — but energy choices should not be treated as a matter of blind faith. People from all sides need to sit down together and engage in a serious debate based on real scientific data, real political pressures, and real public fears. Speak honestly, deliberate carefully, and find practical strategies to withstand a potential Chinese energy blockade.
I have a concrete proposal: the president should convene a National Energy Security Conference, broadcast live in its entirety. The agenda should include:
1.Restructuring the national energy mix of fossil fuels, renewables, and nuclear.
2.Establishing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for energy procurement and transport with Indo-Pacific democracies such as the U.S., Japan, and Australia.
3.Creating a wartime-ready blueprint for the national power grid.
4.Developing a plan to decentralize electricity infrastructure.
5.Advancing highly mobile energy technologies such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and exploring on investing nuclear fusion.
6.Return to the professional recommendation made 30 years ago: don’t shift the burden onto remote Indigenous communities, and coordinate to permanently relocate nuclear waste from Lanyu to Xiaoqiu, an uninhabited islet in Wuqiu Township, Kinmen — the most suitable storage site.
Since the start of the war, Ukraine has lost 70% of its power generation capacity. Russia’s attacks on energy may look like strikes against electricity alone, but in reality they also cripple agriculture and the wider economy. Taiwan must not fall into the same trap. Could what happened in Ukraine happen here? No — because when Ukraine faced blackouts, it could still import electricity overland from its neighbors. Taiwan, if blockaded, would have no such lifeline. To safeguard its sovereignty and economic security, Taiwan must achieve energy independence — only then can it better withstand Beijing’s military threats.
As I traveled in Germany researching energy industries and policies, I had to switch to an Uber because public transport could not reach my destination. On the autobahn, with no speed limit, the driver accelerated past 170 km/h, quickly catching up to a truck ahead. As if by chance, on the back of the truck was a bright warning sticker that read: “No War.” Seeing it, the driver eased off the gas.
No, No War. The fight is not between us, but against the dangers we face — and for solutions.
成為台灣人間魚詩社文創協會 贊助會員
台灣人間魚詩社文創協會為依法設立、非以營利為目的之社會團體。以推廣現代詩、文學及其它藝術創作，推動文化創意產業發展為宗旨。
本會推動及執行任務以現代詩為主體，詩文創作為核心，透過出版、網路及多媒體影音的形式，讓詩文創作深入現代社會生活，增進大眾對文學及創作的興趣，豐富社會心靈。
贊助用途：
•支持協會運作及詩文創作出版
• 舉辦金像詩獎、多媒體跨界影像
• 文學、文化行動與國際推廣
贊助帳號：第一銀行 (007) 大安分行 168-10-002842 社團法人台灣人間魚詩社文創協會
台灣人間魚詩社文創協會為依法設立、非以營利為目的之社會團體。以推廣現代詩、文學及其它藝術創作，推動文化創意產業發展為宗旨。
本會推動及執行任務以現代詩為主體，詩文創作為核心，透過出版、網路及多媒體影音的形式，讓詩文創作深入現代社會生活，增進大眾對文學及創作的興趣，豐富社會心靈。
贊助用途：
•支持協會運作及詩文創作出版
• 舉辦金像詩獎、多媒體跨界影像
• 文學、文化行動與國際推廣
贊助帳號：第一銀行 (007) 大安分行 168-10-002842 社團法人台灣人間魚詩社文創協會
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姐妹詩社：秋水詩社｜ 竊竊詩語｜新詩路 ｜掌門詩學社
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