Taiwan's power supply 'sufficient' for AI development: Premier Cho

Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Tuesday expressed confidence that Taiwan can generate "sufficient" electricity for Taiwan's semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors up to at least 2030.

"New gas-fired power plants we will have built before 2030, as well as the development of diversified green energy, will be sufficient for Taiwan to face the high power usage of the semiconductor and AI [industries]," Cho told reporters at Taiwan's Legislature.

According to a report issued by the Energy Administration in mid-July, Taiwan's electricity demand is expected to increase by 12-13 percent by 2030 compared to 2024 levels.

With the growing adoption of AI applications, the report indicated, power consumption from this sector alone is estimated to increase by around two gigawatts (GW) from 240 megawatts (MW) in 2023 to 2.24 GW in 2028.

Referring to the government's strategy of replacing coal-fired generators with natural gas turbines and expanding solar and offshore wind power projects, Cho said installed solar power capacity reached 13.6 GW in August, and such capacity is projected to rise to 20 GW by 2026.

Meanwhile, the government is working on increasing offshore wind energy capacity from the current 2.7 GW to 7.9 GW by 2028, he added.

The premier also emphasized that the government's main renewable energy target for 2030 remains "unchanged."

"The current target is for 'green energy to account for 30 percent, coal to account for 20 percent, and gas to account for 50 percent by 2030," Cho said.

Speaking in a similar vein, Economics Minister Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝) said he was not worried about Taiwan's AI development being hampered by a lack of energy.

"Taiwan's energy supply through 2030 will be sufficient if [the government] proceeds according to its plans," Kuo said, noting that the government was doing its utmost to ensure power generation for economic and technological development.

The two officials were commenting in response to concerns raised earlier this week by American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene that Taiwan might not have enough green energy to support its rapidly expanding AI and chip industries.