Low Power: The End of Nuclear in Taiwan

The movement to abolish nuclear power in Taiwan grew up alongside democracy itself. For over sixty years, the desire to see authoritarian-era nuclear power plants shut down has inspired generation after generation of activists to take to the streets and demand change. The threat of tsunamis and earthquakes make catastrophic nuclear meltdown and island-wide devastation too great a risk, they say. But this movement is not without its opposition. In referendum after referendum, the majority of Taiwanese have voted in favour of nuclear power in some form or another, and experts warn that Taiwan's feeble energy security is catastrophically weak without it. Now, just a year on from the final active reactor spinning its last, the government has commissioned a feasability study into flipping the switch back on. This episode looks at the issue from all sides to ask - will this debate ever be settled?