Taiwan's Central Election Commission will stage five broadcast debates ahead of a Nov. 28 national referendum on scrapping the country's "nuclear-free homeland" energy policy, a neutral-to-positive step for voters who want both sides heard before a high-stakes vote on nuclear power.

• The referendum, pushed through by the legislature, asks voters whether the government should use nuclear power to boost the economy and drop the nuclear-free policy.
• Five sessions will run on free-to-air TV between Nov. 12 and Nov. 20, with the legislature arguing the "yes" side and the cabinet or approved opposition groups arguing "no."
• Anyone wanting to represent a side must register an official office with the commission and submit representative names by Oct. 15.
• Groups without approved fundraising need 978 co-signers to qualify, and each county or city is limited to one office with up to 100 paid staff.

Outlook: Expect the nuclear debate to heat up through October and November, with a "yes" result on Nov. 28 reversing years of Taiwan's phase-out policy and reshaping its energy and industrial cost picture.