TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (台灣綜合研究院) reported on Wednesday (Jan. 21) that the December 2025 electricity monitoring indicator remained robust, displaying a red light for the ninth consecutive month. The semiconductor industry's unstoppable growth fueled a double-digit increase in electricity consumption, reflecting the sector's significant impact on Taiwan's power usage landscape.
Electricity consumption in industries above high voltage nationwide grew by 1.48% compared to the same period last year. This uptick highlights the strong demand driven by the semiconductor sector. However, the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research noted a distinct divergence in electricity use within the manufacturing sector, with AI supply chains thriving while traditional industries like chemical materials, plastics, rubber products, steel, textiles, and machinery equipment showed weaker trends.
The global expansion of AI applications has significantly benefited the semiconductor industry, boosting demand for advanced computing chips, packaging, and high-speed interconnect technologies. This surge has led semiconductor companies to continue expanding their capital expenditures. In December, the semiconductor sector's electricity usage grew by 10.78% year-over-year, now accounting for over 30% of Taiwan Power Co.'s (台電) AMI industrial electricity consumption, underscoring its critical role in the overall power structure.
The Taiwan Institute of Economic Research anticipates that the growth model centered on AI technology, semiconductor exports, and private investment will dominate Taiwan's economic landscape in 2026. They identified exports as the key engine driving economic growth. The institute also warned that Taiwan's crucial role in the global semiconductor, server, and AI hardware supply chain could face challenges if geopolitical tensions alter the global trade environment, potentially impacting the domestic AI-related industry.