TAINAN (TVBS News) — Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) traveled to Xinying District (新營區) in southern Taiwan on Friday (July 18) to personally recognize Taiwan Power Company (Taipower, 台電) workers for their extraordinary efforts following Typhoon Danas. The president presented service medals and financial bonuses to utility crews who worked tirelessly to restore power across the devastated region. Taipower Chairman Tseng Wen-sheng (曾文生) and Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) joined the president at the recognition ceremony in Taiwan's former colonial-era capital city.
During the ceremony, utility worker representatives appealed directly to President Lai for improvements to frontline workers' compensation, staffing levels, and equipment resources, emphasizing the importance of family security during emergency response situations. The president responded by instructing Taipower executives and Ministry of Economic Affairs officials to develop enhanced protections for utility workers during both routine operations and disaster response scenarios. President Lai further directed the state-owned power company to investigate infrastructure modernization options that could prevent widespread utility pole failures in future storms and reduce physical demands on repair crews.
During the ceremony, utility worker representatives appealed directly to President Lai for improvements to frontline workers' compensation, staffing levels, and equipment resources. They emphasized the importance of family security during emergency response situations. The president responded by instructing Taipower executives and Ministry of Economic Affairs officials to develop enhanced protections for utility workers during both routine operations and disaster response scenarios. President Lai further directed the state-owned power company to investigate infrastructure modernization options that could prevent widespread utility pole failures in future storms.
Taipower Chairman Tseng reported that while Typhoon Danas inflicted severe damage to Tainan's electrical infrastructure, crews have successfully restored power throughout the region after extensive repairs. According to utility officials, the powerful storm toppled 1,940 utility poles across affected areas, causing approximately 300,000 customers to lose electrical service. The company noted that while all public infrastructure has been repaired, some residences may still lack power due to damage to privately-owned electrical poles, which require homeowners to engage certified electrical contractors for repairs.