Taipower president to stay despite tendering resignation

Taipei, April 22 (CNA) Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) President Wang Yao-ting (王耀庭) on Monday said he had decided to stay in his role despite tendering his resignation at the weekend following a string of power outages in the northern city of Taoyuan and a tight power supply on April 15.

At a press conference, Wang said he had decided to stay after being asked to by the premier, the minister of economic affairs, and the Taipower board.

The determining reason, Wang said, was Taipower Union President Wu Yu-pin's (吳有彬) remarks that his leaving would not stop the malicious distortion of facts and that more anxiety would be sparked among the Taipower team.

Noting his earlier decision to resign, Wang said he "despised the fact that the company has been used as a tool for political feud."

"Some people always frame and simplify electricity issues as 'power shortage' or 'false energy policy,'" Wang told reporters.

He outright lashed out at "those who deemed the right energy policy to be more nuclear power," saying more nuclear power "does not guarantee that there wouldn't be any power outages" as such incidents are mostly caused by transmission issues and distribution line damage.

Wang stressed that Taipower reduced the number of power outages from 20,000-plus in 2012 to around 6,000 in 2023 -- a 70 percent decline.

He also stressed that a lot of power outages since the April 3 earthquake had been caused by damage related to the magnitude 7.2 quake that had not been immediately detected.

Wang said he will stay until the new Cabinet takes office and leave the decision on his future to it. The new administration will begin serving after the presidential inauguration on May 20.

He said in his resignation letter Saturday that he would resign to take responsibility for a string of power outages affecting several parts of Taoyuan over the past few days and a tight power supply on April 15 due to generator trips.