Dr. Tsaiying Lu, Director of the Energy Security and Climate Resilience Program at DSET, was recently interviewed by the German Service of Radio Taiwan International, where she shared insights from her doctoral research at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Her dissertation traces Taiwan’s shift from energy self-sufficiency through hydropower during the Japanese colonial period to growing dependence on imported fossil fuels in the post-war era. The study highlights how Taiwan’s direction on energy policy was not only determined by economic concerns but was also profoundly shaped by the development of infrastructure, such as railway and harbor, and the fossil industry, as well as the impact of U.S. foreign aid.
The dissertation also takes a glimpse into Taiwan’s choices and policies on energy in a bird’s eye view, and has a focus on how the special status of the state and diplomatic condition of Taiwan had an impact on its development of energy policies. It raises the examples of the two oil crises in the 1970s and other diplomatic crises Taiwan has been through – both Taipower’s plan to procure coal from the United States and its initiative in Saudi Arabia for its largest foreign aid program demonstrated how trade can have implications on energy security and diplomacy. The recent case on Taiwan-U.S. trade also shows a similar model (please see the op-ed of DSET Energy Security and Climate Resilience Program here)
DSET’s Energy Security and Climate Resilience Program continues to examine Taiwan’s energy security and net-zero transition in light of its current dependency on fossil imports, with a focus on lowering the dependency on China and increasing the resilience of the supply chain. The program has already published two major studies: Firstly, Building a Resilient Solar PV Supply Chain: A Strategic Analysis of Taiwan-EU Cooperation in Third-Generation Solar Technology, explores Taiwan’s strategic advantages in next-generation solar technologies and how it could become a key partner for Europe in both markets and innovation. Secondly, Climate Change and Infrastructure Resilience: An Analysis of Water and Power Usage in Taiwan’s Semiconductor Industry analyzes the water and energy security challenges posed by advanced semiconductor manufacturing, as well as the importance of resource allocation and climate risk differentiation in regions hosting major fabrication plants.
