TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A series of disruptive power outages has struck Taiwan's southern port city of Kaohsiung, triggering mounting public frustration and calls for immediate infrastructure upgrades from local officials. Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) delivered a forceful appeal on Wednesday (June 11) to Taiwan Power Company (Taipower, 台電), the state-owned utility, demanding accelerated improvements to aging transmission and transformation equipment. The mayor emphasized that modernizing the electrical grid has become increasingly urgent as the city pursues ambitious urban renewal initiatives that will place additional demands on power infrastructure.
The power disruptions have particularly affected Cijin District (旗津區), a densely populated island area connected to the mainland by tunnel, and neighborhoods surrounding Kaohsiung Main Station (高雄火車站), the city's central transportation hub. Technical failures have multiplied in recent days, with a significant incident occurring last Sunday when defective busbar voltage measurement equipment plunged 8,932 households in Cijin into darkness. Just hours later, early Monday morning, an underground cable malfunction near the train station triggered another blackout affecting 321 households. Residents have grown increasingly vocal in their frustration despite Taipower's claims of rapid response and repairs.
During his public statement, Mayor Chen stressed that modernization of outdated substations and distribution voltage equipment must be prioritized, particularly in Cijin and similarly established neighborhoods with aging infrastructure. The mayor revealed that municipal officials have consistently communicated these infrastructure concerns to Taipower without seeing an adequate response. The issue has transcended partisan lines, with Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) opposition party Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) launching her own critique of the utility via social media. In a pointed Facebook post, Ko highlighted the alarming statistic that Kaohsiung has suffered seven separate power outages within just 30 days, raising serious questions about Taipower's capacity to meet peak electricity demands as Taiwan enters its hottest summer months. ◼