Summer of severe power gaps
Source: Agencies |
May 7, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE shutdown of Japan's last working nuclear power plant and the government's failure to convince a wary public about restarting at dozens of reactors leaves the world's third largest economy facing another summer of severe power shortages.
Hokkaido Electric Power Co shut its nuclear plant late on Saturday - the last of Japan's 50 reactors to go off line - marking the first time since 1970 Japan has been nuclear power-free.
Japan's US$5 trillion economy has relied heavily on nuclear power for decades, with its reactors providing almost 30 percent of electricity needs, but last year's massive earthquake and subsequent nuclear crisis spurred a public backlash against atomic energy.
Cabinet ministers have largely failed to win over the public to allow the restart of the country's plants - shut one by one for scheduled maintenance and unable to resume operations because of concerns about safety.
Japan's Asahi newspaper said public sentiment was "wavering between two sources of anxiety" - fear over the safety of nuclear power and doubts on whether Japan can live without it.
"The public shouldn't just criticise (the government) but make its own decision on energy policy that involves burden and responsibility, such as through cooperating in power saving," it said in yesterday's editorial.
The government hopes to draft an estimate by mid-May of likely shortages this summer, and will then produce a plan to conserve energy that could include compulsory curbs on use of power, Japanese media say.
But setting a long-term energy policy or a clear timeframe for restarting the plants will take time given strong public opposition and a divided parliament, analysts say.
Hokkaido Electric Power Co shut its nuclear plant late on Saturday - the last of Japan's 50 reactors to go off line - marking the first time since 1970 Japan has been nuclear power-free.
Japan's US$5 trillion economy has relied heavily on nuclear power for decades, with its reactors providing almost 30 percent of electricity needs, but last year's massive earthquake and subsequent nuclear crisis spurred a public backlash against atomic energy.
Cabinet ministers have largely failed to win over the public to allow the restart of the country's plants - shut one by one for scheduled maintenance and unable to resume operations because of concerns about safety.
Japan's Asahi newspaper said public sentiment was "wavering between two sources of anxiety" - fear over the safety of nuclear power and doubts on whether Japan can live without it.
"The public shouldn't just criticise (the government) but make its own decision on energy policy that involves burden and responsibility, such as through cooperating in power saving," it said in yesterday's editorial.
The government hopes to draft an estimate by mid-May of likely shortages this summer, and will then produce a plan to conserve energy that could include compulsory curbs on use of power, Japanese media say.
But setting a long-term energy policy or a clear timeframe for restarting the plants will take time given strong public opposition and a divided parliament, analysts say.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
