Commentary: The 15% surge in electricity prices is still not enough to reflect the power crisis in Taiwan caused by the DPP

　　China News Agency, Beijing, July 2nd: Electricity prices soared by 15%, which is still not enough to reflect the power crisis in Taiwan caused by the Democratic Progressive Party

　　China News Agency reporter Rong Haisheng

　　The Taiwan authorities' economic department recently announced that the average electricity price across Taiwan will be raised by 8.4% from July 1, of which high-voltage and ultra-high-voltage industrial electricity consumers will increase by 15%.

Previously, the DPP authorities had artificially suppressed electricity prices for nearly four years against the backdrop of rising power generation costs.

　　But even such an increase does not fully reflect the power crisis in Taiwan brought about by the DPP's administration.

Its wrong adherence to an unrealistic "non-nuclear" energy policy has already laid the groundwork for the ever-increasing electricity price. This time is probably just the "first increase" catalyzed by the global energy price increase.

　　Taiwan energy expert Chen Licheng pointed out that in recent years, an energy policy evaluation report put forward by the Taiwanese economic authorities wrote that under the assumption that fuel costs remain unchanged, the average electricity price in 2025 is estimated to increase by 0.84 yuan per kilowatt-hour (NT$, The same below).

how so?

Because of the "non-nuclear homeland" policy, the proportion of "cheap electricity" in Taiwan's energy structure will decrease.

In the past, when the six units of a nuclear power plant in Taiwan were in normal operation, 40 billion kWh of electricity could be generated each year at a cost of 1 yuan per kWh; while offshore wind power and solar energy cost an average of 5 yuan per kWh of electricity. The fixed cost increases by 160 billion yuan; if the increase in energy prices is included, the cost increase will be even more frightening.

　　Ye Zong-kuang, a professor at the Department of Engineering and Systems Science at Tsinghua University in Taiwan, also pointed out that the cost of nuclear power generation is lower than that of thermal power generation and green power. .

Last year, another nuclear power plant stopped operating, and the cost of electricity generation is unlikely to drop.

　　In this context, Taiwan's electricity prices have been "frozen up" for four years, which is incredible.

The reason for this is nothing more than the administrative intervention of the DPP authorities in the market mechanism, in order to please the people in exchange for votes.

However, the consequence of political manipulation is that Taipower has accumulated a loss of 85.3 billion yuan in April this year, which is one of the reasons why its inability to adequately maintain power generation equipment has led to intensified regional power outages in recent years.

Taipower's current net worth is about 300 billion yuan. If it fully recognizes the asset loss of nearly 300 billion yuan caused by the scrapping of "Nuclear Four", it will immediately go bankrupt.

　　In addition, under the "political subsidy" electricity price, enterprises on the island lack the motivation to save electricity and increase efficiency, and many high-power-consuming industries have also been able to grow abnormally.

Political "freezing" will cost Taiwanese society a long-term price, and the damage has already begun to show.

　　According to Taipower estimates, this year's losses will reach 100 billion to 200 billion yuan. To fully reflect the increase in fuel costs, electricity prices must increase by 40%.

However, this round of price adjustments by the DPP authorities did not reach this level, nor did it cover ordinary residential electricity consumption. It must be aimed at reducing public grievances so as not to affect the "nine-in-one" election at the end of the year.

However, the surprise price adjustment caught companies by surprise; even Taiwanese media pointed out that most of the high-voltage and ultra-high-voltage electricity consumers are important export manufacturers, and this move will definitely affect their industrial development and investment willingness.

The deterioration of the economic environment will eventually impact people's livelihood.

　　The rise in power generation costs is a sure thing, and it is only a matter of time before the second and third rounds of price increases will affect the common people.

The DPP's political calculus is sound: the election gains can raise prices recklessly, and if the election fails, it can leave the energy mess and leave.

But the whole Taiwanese society has to pay for the wrong policies of the DPP for a long time.

　　It can be seen from the various actions that the DPP does not plan for Taiwan's development or the people of Taiwan, but only for the party's self-interest.

Its 2025 "non-nuclear homeland" goal has been "officially announced" to delay the ticket, and Taiwan's electricity will be short and expensive in the future.

Now that the hot summer electricity season has arrived, Taiwanese people and enterprises may still have lingering fears about the power outages in Taiwan in previous years.

If the DPP remains in power, it is hard to imagine what kind of future Taiwan, which was originally short of resources, will meet.

(Finish)