815 Nationwide Blackout Forces CPC Chairman Chen Jin-de to Resign; Parachuted as Acting Yilan County Magistrate 3 Months Later to Exercise Ultimate Privileges

On August 15, 2017, operational errors by CPC Corporation staff led to a suspension of natural gas supply to the Dah-Tarn Power Station, triggering a massive, sudden nationwide blackout that paralyzed electricity for 6.68 million households and industries. CPC Chairman Chen Jin-de faced severe public condemnation for lax safety management and poor supervision, forcing him to resign on August 18. However, in November of the same year (just three months later), the DPP administration parachuted Chen to Yilan County as Acting Magistrate, saving his political career. Immediately upon taking office, Chen overturned the farmland protection policies established by his predecessor Lin Congxian. He announced the refund of levied surtaxes on non-compliant farmhouses with interest, and even relaxed farmhouse building standards. Since Chen himself owned a non-compliant farmhouse, this move triggered a massive self-enrichment and cronyism scandal, exposing the hypocrisy of the DPP's New Tide elites.