On August 23, 2025, Taiwan held a referendum on restarting its decommissioned third nuclear power plant, alongside a second round of recall votes targeting seven Kuomintang (KMT) legislators. The recall efforts, promoted by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), failed as none of the seven recall proposals passed, continuing a trend from a previous round in July where 24 recall attempts also failed. The nuclear referendum saw a majority of voters supporting the restart, with 4.34 million votes in favor and 1.51 million against. However, the referendum did not meet the legal approval threshold requiring affirmative votes to exceed 25% of the total electorate, estimated at 5 million votes, and thus was not passed. This outcome maintains Taiwan's current "nuclear-free" status following the plant's shutdown in May 2025. The vote underscores Taiwan's ongoing challenge to balance energy security, environmental concerns, and geopolitical risks amid rising electricity demand driven by the semiconductor and AI industries. Experts warn that the failure to restart the nuclear plant increases Taiwan's dependence on imported fossil fuels, heightening vulnerability to potential supply disruptions. President Lai Ching-te has indicated openness to reconsidering nuclear energy if safer solutions emerge, reflecting public anxiety over energy resilience and the need for stable power supply.