Highly dependent on imported fossil fuels, soon to shutter its last nuclear plant, and slow to build out renewables, the world’s largest producer of advanced computer chips is heading toward an energy crunch.
Today Taiwan’s science parks house more than 1,100 companies, employ 321,000 people, and generate $127 billion in annual revenue. Along the way, Hsinchu Science Park’s Industrial Technology Research Institute has given birth to startups that have grown into world leaders. One of them, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), produces at least 90 percent of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Collectively, Taiwan’s companies hold a 68 percent market share of all global chip production.
It is a spectacular success. But it has also created a problem that could threaten the future prosperity of both the sector and the island. As the age of energy-hungry artificial intelligence dawns, Taiwan is facing a multifaceted energy crisis: It depends heavily on imported fossil fuels, it has ambitious clean energy targets that it is failing to meet, and it can barely keep up with current demand. Addressing this problem, government critics say, is growing increasingly urgent.
If there is one industry on earth where countries with more electricity will gladly host their factories, it’s semi-conductors.
The obvious problem for Taiwan is that off-shoring production decreases their “Silicon Shield” against Chinese invasion.
So they’re turning those nuclear power plants back on whether they want to or not. We’re just in the in-between phase where the politicians have to pretend that public opinion – to have no nuclear but also zero emissions in a country without the surface area for renewable energy – is a viable path.
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Highly dependent on imported fossil fuels, soon to shutter its last nuclear plant, and slow to build out renewables, the world’s largest producer of advanced computer chips is heading toward an energy crunch.
Today Taiwan’s science parks house more than 1,100 companies, employ 321,000 people, and generate $127 billion in annual revenue. Along the way, Hsinchu Science Park’s Industrial Technology Research Institute has given birth to startups that have grown into world leaders. One of them, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), produces at least 90 percent of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Collectively, Taiwan’s companies hold a 68 percent market share of all global chip production.
It is a spectacular success. But it has also created a problem that could threaten the future prosperity of both the sector and the island. As the age of energy-hungry artificial intelligence dawns, Taiwan is facing a multifaceted energy crisis: It depends heavily on imported fossil fuels, it has ambitious clean energy targets that it is failing to meet, and it can barely keep up with current demand. Addressing this problem, government critics say, is growing increasingly urgent.
Read the full story: [https://www.wired.com/story/taiwan-makes-the-majority-of-the-worlds-computer-chips-now-its-running-out-of-electricity/](https://www.wired.com/story/taiwan-makes-the-majority-of-the-worlds-computer-chips-now-its-running-out-of-electricity/)
If there is one industry on earth where countries with more electricity will gladly host their factories, it’s semi-conductors.
The obvious problem for Taiwan is that off-shoring production decreases their “Silicon Shield” against Chinese invasion.
So they’re turning those nuclear power plants back on whether they want to or not. We’re just in the in-between phase where the politicians have to pretend that public opinion – to have no nuclear but also zero emissions in a country without the surface area for renewable energy – is a viable path.