Amid rising regional geopolitical risks and high industrial power demands, Tsaiying Lu, Director of the Energy Resilience Program at the Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET), was recently invited by TaiwanPlus to appear on the program CONNECTED on TaiwanPlus alongside Andrei Covatariu, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center and Research Fellow at the Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE). Together, they shared DSET’s latest energy security simulations and discussed how Taiwan can maintain stable power supplies and strengthen supply chain resilience under potential blockade scenarios.
Addressing public concerns about wartime LNG reserves, Lu explained that based on Taipower’s public data and projected changes in wartime power demand, DSET estimates that with strategic stockpiles and coordinated use of renewable energy, Taiwan’s power system can maintain stable electricity supply for at least 40 days in the event of a blockade. She added that if emergency measures such as industrial power rationing are implemented, the available days of supply could be further extended.
Lu also noted that Taiwan’s current procurement plans already include diversified LNG sources, such as partnerships with suppliers in Alaska, to shorten delivery times and increase supply flexibility, thereby enhancing energy security.
She further explained that given Taiwan’s continued reliance on natural gas and coal, the government has strengthened the power grid and stocked critical spare parts, while conducting scenario-based emergency drills. In recent years, Taiwan has accelerated efforts to integrate more renewable energy into the grid, with offshore wind and rooftop solar as key priorities, alongside plans to add geothermal energy, hydrogen, and storage systems to address the intermittency of renewables and ensure flexible dispatch capacity.
Regarding the power demands of Taiwan’s manufacturing and semiconductor sectors, Lu stressed that Taiwan must meet industrial electricity needs without compromising household supply. She pointed out that some companies, such as semiconductor plants, are already enhancing their energy resilience through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) and rooftop solar installations. Additionally, the Taiwan Power Company plans to directly transmit electricity from offshore wind farms to science parks, aiming to reduce the transmission bottlenecks due to its centralized grid and minimize the risk of cross-regional blackouts.
She also emphasized that Taiwan must continue to upgrade infrastructure and expand storage capacity, while working with industry to develop more distributed generation and storage solutions. This will ensure sufficient flexibility to manage energy supply in the face of geopolitical uncertainties.
