TAOYUAN (TVBS News) — Taoyuan City's Deputy Mayor Wang Ming-chu said on Friday (April 19) that the recent major power outage in the city was not due to a lack of electricity, but rather equipment failure and aging underground cables. However, he acknowledged that a power shortage was an "indirect factor."
The city has experienced power outages for three consecutive days, sparking public discontent. Wang had predicted in 2018 that March and April each year were the most dangerous times due to hot weather and the need for annual maintenance of generators in many privately-owned power plants.
Wang stated that if there is insufficient equipment, power rationing is necessary, but this greatly impacts the industrial sector and healthcare industry. Frequent power outages due to insufficient voltage can also damage equipment. Additionally, with Taoyuan's growing population and the unstable power supply in newly developed areas, the situation is becoming increasingly precarious.
Wang warned that as generators require maintenance in winter, the shortening of winter due to climate change could lead to more frequent power rationing, severely affecting the healthcare industry.
Wang revealed that during the Hualien earthquake on April 3, a hospital in Taoyuan experienced a total power outage and had to rely on a generator for over three hours. Hospitals need to run air conditioning 24 hours a day to maintain low temperatures and prevent bacterial growth, which puts a significant strain on them. Wang hopes the Ministry of Health and Welfare can coordinate to prevent hospitals from raising electricity fees.