Taiwan’s Energy Crisis Exposes Global LNG Dependence & Coal’s Persistent Structural Role in Asia-Pacific

Indigenous Taiwanese communities, particularly the Amis and Atayal peoples, have resisted coal expansion on their ancestral lands for decades, framing it as a violation of their cultural and ecological sovereignty. Their protests against the Taichung Power Plant and Mailiao coal complex highlight how energy policy in Taiwan and across East Asia has systematically displaced Indigenous stewardship of land in favour of extractivist models. These communities’ knowledge of wind, solar, and tidal energy—rooted in centuries of observation—offers a counter-narrative to the 'energy security' rhetoric driving coal reliance.

The current coal pivot in Taiwan is the latest iteration of a post-WWII energy trajectory shaped by U.S. Cold War alliances, which prioritised fossil fuel dependence to maintain geopolitical control in the Asia-Pacific. Japan’s post-war industrialisation relied on coal, and its later shift to LNG was driven by geopolitical alliances with Gulf states—a model Taiwan has emulated. The 1970s oil shocks cemented coal’s role in Asia’s energy mix, and today’s LNG disruptions echo the vulnerabilities of that era, revealing how energy transitions are cyclical rather than linear.

In contrast to Taiwan’s top-down energy policy, Germany’s *Energiewende* demonstrates how decentralised renewable energy cooperatives can democratise power generation, though it has faced challenges in scaling. Meanwhile, in Aotearoa (New Zealand), Māori communities have successfully integrated geothermal energy projects with cultural protocols, showing how Indigenous governance can guide sustainable energy transitions. These examples reveal that 'energy security' is not a universal concept but a culturally contingent one, where solutions must be co-designed with local communities.

Scientific consensus confirms that coal’s role in energy security is a short-term palliative with long-term catastrophic climate and health impacts, as evidenced by studies linking PM2.5 emissions to 4.2 million premature deaths annually (WHO, 2023). Research also shows that Asia’s LNG dependence is structurally fragile, with supply chains vulnerable to geopolitical shocks (e.g., 2021 Texas freeze, 2022 Ukraine war). Meanwhile, peer-reviewed studies from the *Journal of Cleaner Production* highlight that renewable energy in East Asia could meet 80% of demand by 2050 with existing technology, contradicting the 'baseload' myth used to justify coal.

Artists in Taiwan, such as the collective *Formosa Plastics Watch*, have used murals and performances to critique coal’s cultural erasure, framing energy transitions as a spiritual crisis. In Japan, the *Fukushima Art Project* reimagined nuclear disaster zones as spaces of collective mourning and renewal, challenging the technocratic narrative of energy 'progress.' Meanwhile, in Australia, Indigenous artists like Vernon Ah Kee have linked coal mining to the destruction of sacred sites, using visual culture to resist extractivist logic.

Scenario modelling by the *International Energy Agency* (2023) suggests that Asia could achieve net-zero by 2050 with aggressive renewable deployment, but this requires phasing out coal by 2030—a target incompatible with Taiwan’s current 10-year coal expansion plan. Alternative futures include 'energy democracy' models where communities own and operate microgrids, as seen in Bangladesh’s solar home systems, or 'just transition' frameworks that prioritise worker and Indigenous rights. However, these pathways demand dismantling fossil fuel subsidies ($7 trillion globally in 2022, IMF) and redirecting capital toward decentralised renewables.

Marginalised communities in Taiwan, including Hoklo and Hakka working-class populations, bear the brunt of coal pollution, with higher rates of asthma and cardiovascular disease in areas near coal plants. In Australia, the Wangan and Jagalingou people have fought Adani’s Carmichael coal mine for a decade, facing legal repression and corporate intimidation. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, coal-affected communities in Batangas and Quezon provinces have organised under the *Coal-Free Philippines Movement*, linking energy policy to broader struggles for environmental justice and Indigenous rights.