Overview

• The Central Election Commission reported about 4.3 million votes for reopening Maanshan and 1.5 million against, short of the roughly 5 million yes votes required for validity.
• Maanshan was shuttered in May, ending civilian nuclear power in Taiwan, so the plant remains offline after the failed vote.
• The ballot asked to restart the facility only if authorities confirmed no safety issues, making the question explicitly conditional.
• Taiwan relies heavily on imported fossil fuels, with LNG at 42.4% and coal at 39.3% of generation last year, and holds about 11 days of LNG and 30 days of coal in reserve.
• The referendum was initiated by the TPP with KMT support, the DPP opposed a restart without safety and waste guarantees, and separate recalls targeting seven KMT lawmakers also failed.