TSMC—Massive water consumption (150,000 tonnes daily, 6.4% of Taiwan's electricity) forces farmers to keep fields fallow

TSMC accounts for 150,000 tonnes of water per day (equivalent to 170,000 US households) and 6.4% of Taiwan's national electricity. Southern Taiwan Science Park facilities alone consume 99,000 tonnes daily. Taiwanese farmers are paid to keep fields fallow so water that would go to agriculture can feed semiconductor plants. During droughts, plants ordered to reduce consumption by 15% but TSMC resorted to buying truckloads of water and drilling drought-resistant wells.