Taiwan Government halts fourth nuclear plant construction after public protests

TAIPEI - The Administration of President Ma Ying-jeou and the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) agreed Sunday to halt construction of Taiwan’s controversial fourth nuclear power plant with immediate effect.
Construction of the plant's nearly completed no. 1 and no. 2 reactors will be halted. The no. 1 reactor, which is currently undergoing safety inspections, will not be brought online once inspections are complete, said Fan Chiang Tai-chi, head of the KMT's Culture and Communication Committee.

The Executive Yuan has also promised to convene a national energy conference as soon as possible "to ensure there will be no cause for worry over future power supplies", he said.

Whether the plant will be put into operation in the future will be decided by a national referendum, Fan Chiang said, adding that the timetable for the referendum should be decided by the public. (ATI)