In his National Day address, Lai Ching-te left room for flexibility on energy policy — a positive signal for restarting nuclear power and for corporate electricity demand.

• The government will pragmatically assess all energy options based on scientific evidence, statutory procedures and safety standards, and will not rule out any of them on ideological grounds.
• The emphasis is on diversified green energy, energy storage, energy conservation and grid resilience, with the goals of stable power supply, energy security and the net-zero transition.
• The Nuclear Safety Commission has completed its review of the plan to restart the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant; Taipower must now proceed in accordance with the approved plan and submit a report on the results of its implementation.
• The address also set out measures to address the declining birth rate: starting next year, a growth allowance of NT$5,000 per month will be paid for children aged 0 to 18, alongside childbirth benefits and affordable childcare.
• Long-term Care 3.0 integrates medical, social welfare and community resources, targeting a super-aged society and the "sandwich generation" caught between caring for the old and the young.

Outlook: progress in the follow-up review of the Maanshan restart will be the first test of whether "not ruling out options on ideological grounds" is genuinely put into practice.