TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) on Thursday criticized state-owned CPC Corp.’s proposed US$4.4 billion (NT$142.26 billion) investment in an Alaska LNG pipeline project, saying the government had not provided enough information about the undertaking.
US President Donald Trump said at a rally Tuesday that Taiwan had agreed to invest in a proposed Alaska pipeline project and purchase 30% of its output over 20 years. The Ministry of Economic Affairs confirmed Wednesday that CPC signed a letter of intent with Alaska Gasline Development Corp. in March 2025.
The announcement drew criticism from opposition figures. Huang accused the government of conducting backroom dealings, noting that since Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) visited Alaska in 2025, CPC had repeatedly declined to provide a report on the potential investment, citing ongoing planning, per NOWNews.
Huang said the public had to learn about a multibillion-dollar investment from Trump at a Republican rally. He argued that the lack of transparency surrounding such a major project was unacceptable.
Huang also questioned the government’s assessment of the project, saying its challenges and risks had led countries such as Japan and South Korea to remain uncommitted. KMT spokesperson Niu Hsu-ting (牛煦庭) echoed Huang’s concerns in an interview, saying the project had been under discussion since the administration of former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), per China Times.
Niu questioned whether the government and CPC could afford the investment while both faced financial pressures. He noted that CPC had required government cash injections to avert financial turmoil, adding that part of the company’s deficit stemmed from the government’s prioritization of natural gas for power generation.
DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) also commented on the proposal, saying a responsible government should diversify its energy sources, per Newtalk. However, he said CPC and the Ministry of Economic Affairs needed to provide more details about the project to the public.
Experts offered mixed assessments of the proposal.
Stimson Center Senior Fellow Michael Cunningham said the deal could strengthen Taiwan’s energy resilience while helping reduce the US trade deficit with Taiwan, per CNA. He added that increasing Taiwan’s importance among US export markets could also bolster its security.
Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Riley Walters said Taiwan’s positive response was significant, particularly after South Korea raised concerns about the project’s profitability. He argued that Taiwan’s commitment to purchase one-third of the pipeline’s output would help ensure its commercial viability.
Research Center for Taiwan Economic Development researcher Liang Chi-yuan (梁啟源) said shipping natural gas from Alaska could reduce transportation costs but warned of other significant risks, per UDN. These included engineering challenges in the Arctic, opposition from environmental groups, and the possibility that a future Democratic administration in the US could oppose the pipeline project.
Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research Senior Analyst Jheng Ruei-he (鄭睿合) warned that CPC would struggle to secure US$4.4 billion for the investment amid its ongoing financial difficulties. If the plan proceeded, he proposed allowing CPC to end its gas price stabilization efforts and providing additional funds to shore up its finances.
Jheng added that, if the deal went ahead, Taiwan could import 8 million metric tons of natural gas from the US annually, accounting for nearly one-quarter of its total imports. However, he warned that concentrating energy supplies in a single source would pose another significant risk.
Jheng also noted that Taiwan’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 could complicate the investment. A 20-year contract beginning in 2032, the pipeline’s projected start of operations, could leave Taiwan importing substantial quantities of LNG even as it seeks to reduce domestic consumption.