nuclear-news

Japan’s Trade Minister backs energy conservation, and shift from nuclear power

 Unlikely Hand Flips Japan’s Power Switch Trade Minister Breaks With Predecessors to Back Energy Conservation, Guide Shift From Nuclear WSJ, March 29, 2012, By MITSURU OBE And PHRED DVORAK,  TOKYO—Japan’s shift away from nuclear power, prompted by last year’s Fukushima disaster, is being shepherded by an unlikely proponent: the trade minister. Yukio Edano says the country has to adjust to a new era of energy conservation, in contrast to his predecessors at the
powerful Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, who were anxious to keep Japan’s export-led economy chugging along on a plentiful supply of power.

“Until now, Japan’s power strategy was: We need electricity, so how do
we increase supply?” Mr. Edano said in an interview with The Wall
Street Journal. Now, and for the foreseeable future, the discussion is
about “how do we use the energy resources we have more effectively?”
he said.

That radical change in tone—and his oversight of the country’s latest
review of energy policy, due out this summer—has made the 47-year-old
Mr. Edano one of the country’s most important and closely watched
politicians. His ministry is hammering out the details of the
country’s new renewable-energy law, which takes effect in July. And he
is pushing for deep overhauls in the country’s biggest utility, Tokyo
Electric Power Co., which some see as a prelude to increased
competition in the energy markets…..
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304177104577307521422825912.html

March 30, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Japan, politics