Tsaiying Lu, Director of the Energy Security and Climate Resilience Program at Taiwan’s Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET), was recently invited as a featured guest on the latest Strait Forward podcast episode—“Securing Taiwan’s Energy Supply”—produced by the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a Washington-based think tank focused on technology and national security strategy.
Hosted by Channing Lee, SCSP’s Deputy Director of Foreign Policy, and Libby Lange, Director of Intelligence, Strait Forward spotlights leading voices across Taiwan’s technology, national security, and foreign policy communities to bring first-hand Taiwanese perspectives to Washington audiences. Previous guests include Taiwan’s Representative to the United States Alexander Yui Tah-ray and former Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang.
During the interview, Dr. Lu emphasized that Taiwan’s energy strategy must go beyond the conventional approach of fuel diversification adopted by many countries. Given Taiwan’s high import dependency and exposure to gray-zone coercion, the island must also build “strategic resilience” — ensuring stability during peacetime while preparing for potential disruptions under geopolitical pressure.
She explained that the Taiwanese government and Taipower are strengthening critical infrastructure, including LNG terminals, substations, and both onshore and subsea power cables. Taiwan is also accelerating the development of distributed grids to enhance resilience across the entire energy supply chain.
Dr. Lu highlighted DSET’s recent report, Vulnerabilities at Depth: Submarine Power Cable Sabotage and Supply Chain Risks Amid China’s Rise, which warns of China’s rapid expansion in key cable components and the potential implications for regional security. She noted that governments and private-sector stakeholders must recognize the strategic importance of subsea infrastructure and invest in safeguarding it.
The conversation also explored how accelerating AI development is driving global demand for advanced chips and high-performance computing. As Europe, the United States, and Indo-Pacific partners update their technology strategies, new frameworks for security cooperation are emerging. Dr. Lu underscored that Taiwan’s central role in cybersecurity, energy resilience, and the semiconductor supply chain places the island at the heart of international collaboration and policy dialogue.
Dr. Lu concluded that Taiwan’s energy security is inseparable from national security and regional stability. As AI and semiconductors become the economic foundations of the next decade, ensuring “adequate and green electricity” as well as “stable fuel imports” will be essential for Taiwan’s survival and competitiveness amid rising geopolitical tensions and rapid technological shifts—and will serve as a key element of deterrence against China.
DSET and SCSP signed an MOU in October 2024 and have since collaborated on critical issues related to semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and dual-use technologies. In June, during the SCSP 2025 AI+Expo, DSET hosted a major event titled “Taiwan Tech & National Security: AI, Chips, Drones, and Energy Security.” DSET’s overseas research fellows engaged with U.S. counterparts on strengthening cooperation across AI, semiconductors, unmanned systems, and energy security to jointly address the challenges posed by China and build resilient democratic technology and energy supply chains.
