President Tsai Inspecting Hsinta Power Plant 關切電力 蔡總統今增視察興達電廠行程

In response to the nationwide power outages that hit more than 5 million households, President Tsai Ing-wen said a thorough investigation will be made.

President Tsai Ing-wen traveled down south on Friday, March 4 to attend the opening ceremony of the launch of the College of International Financial Research at the National Sun Yat-sen University. Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai made an appearance as well. Tsai said nothing during the event about the mass power outage across Taiwan that just happened the day before. However, she posted on Facebook saying that she would make an additional trip to Hsinta Power Plant to inspect. She also promised that a thorough investigation would be made as soon as possible to hold related people accountable. Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chi-mai said he would hire lawyers to represent citizens and companies affected to seek compensation.

Chen Chi-mai, Kaohsiung City Mayor: “We will help businesses seek compensation from Taipower for the monetary losses incurred from the power outage, whether it was being from compulsory shut down or delaying of orders.”

Chen criticized that Taipower had made a very fundamental mistake. Kaohsiung received the biggest blow from the blackout. The mass blackout left 1.86 million households in Kaohsiung out of power, affecting businesses of all types and disrupting traffic. The power outage also impacted steel output. Authorities blamed human negligence at Hsinta Power Plant for the outage and prosecutors said they have already launched an investigation.

Wang Po-tun, Head Prosecutor, Ciaotou District Prosecutors Office: “We will explore all possible reasons and access the situation as soon as possible, without affecting the restoration of the electricity supply. We will work with the Justice Investigation Bureau, Kaohsiung Division to form a special task force. We will investigate thoroughly and punish those responsibly.”

Three major power outages have been caused by the malfunctioning of the Hsinta Power Plant in the past two years. Many power plants in Kaohsiung are responsible for the nation's electricity production, with Hsinta Power Plant being one of them. Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen, as well as Kaoshiung citizens, are upset that Kaohsiung is the last place to have power restored this time around. Chen stressed that Taipower should take full responsibility to ensure power grid stability and stabilize the long-term energy supply within the country. 

全台大停電隔天，總統蔡英文按照既定行程南下高雄，和高雄市長陳其邁上午參加中山大學國際金融研究學院的揭牌時，雖然沒提到停電，但她透過臉書表示，新增行程在中午親自前往興達電廠勘查，也表示會在最短時間內，徹底調查事故原因及相關疏失，採取必要的究責，陳其邁則說會聘律師代市民、廠商求償。

高雄市長陳其邁表示：「造成的一些實質的損失，或者是因為停電而造成在不管是停工或者是在訂單等等，這個一定要跟台電算清楚。」

陳其邁重話批評台電犯了低級錯誤，因為這場停電重災區在高雄，造成186萬戶停電，不只影響餐飲及交通等民生相關層面，造成店家跟民眾困擾，也讓鋼鐵等製造業的生產線受到影響。由於興達電廠這次事故屬人為疏失也引起檢方注意，決定啟動調查、釐清責任。

橋頭地檢署主任檢察官王柏敦指出：「不影響復電的工作下，盡速了解事故發生的可能原因及停電狀況，本署將與法務部調查局高雄市調查處，成立專案小組來持續深入了解，如果有涉及到人為的不法，專案小組將依法偵辦。」

興達電廠短短2年出了3次事故、造成3次大停電，特別高雄長期南電北送，卻在這次停電最晚復電，更是引發高雄市民及市長陳其邁極大的不滿，陳其邁也再次強調，台電應該負起責任，檢討整個電網的供電穩定度，不能再犯。