Japan to retain nuclear power as main energy source: Kaieda
Jun. 15, 2011
Industry minister Banri Kaieda pledged at a government panel meeting earlier this month to do his ''utmost'' to enable idled nuclear reactors to resume operation, noting that nuclear power will remain a core energy source for Japan's electric power generation, according to the undisclosed minutes of the meeting obtained by Kyodo News on Tuesday.
The pledge apparently reflected a backlash by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry against Prime Minister Naoto Kan's plan to develop energy-saving measures and renewable energy into a pillar of the nation's energy policy, government watchers said.
Kaieda made the remark at a meeting on June 7 of a government task force in charge of formulating Japan's new growth strategies, which started discussing innovative energy and environmental strategies that day.
Kan, who chairs the task force, told the meeting of a plan to create a new government agency to promote the use of natural energy, according to the minutes.
But Kaieda said the government would create a ''best mix'' of nuclear power, fossil fuels and renewable energy as medium- and long-term means of energy supply.
He also said the nation's basic energy policy will be revised by the middle of next year, indicating that the industry ministry will take the initiative in mapping out energy policies.
Responding to Kaieda's remark, Yasuchika Hasegawa, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives and a member of the government task force, said the government should persuade the public of the necessity of nuclear power generation from the viewpoint of stable electricity supplies.
Tadashi Okamura, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and another panel member from the business community, called on the government to ease public concern about the safety of nuclear power generation.
The March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, arousing strong concern about the safety of nuclear energy and making it difficult for utilities to resume operation of reactors idled for regular inspections.
Economic and fiscal policy minister Kaoru Yosano told the panel meeting that Japan should continue promoting nuclear power generation as a national policy.
Other panel members also supported maintaining the policy.
Meanwhile, 14 environmental groups in Japan, including WWF Japan and Greenpeace Japan, have issued a joint statement stressing that the government's closed-door deliberations on energy and environmental policies are unacceptable.
It is ''undemocratic'' that discussions ''extremely important to each person'' are being held without reflecting public opinion, they said.
(Distributed by Kyodo News on June 15, 2011)
The pledge apparently reflected a backlash by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry against Prime Minister Naoto Kan's plan to develop energy-saving measures and renewable energy into a pillar of the nation's energy policy, government watchers said.
Kaieda made the remark at a meeting on June 7 of a government task force in charge of formulating Japan's new growth strategies, which started discussing innovative energy and environmental strategies that day.
Kan, who chairs the task force, told the meeting of a plan to create a new government agency to promote the use of natural energy, according to the minutes.
But Kaieda said the government would create a ''best mix'' of nuclear power, fossil fuels and renewable energy as medium- and long-term means of energy supply.
He also said the nation's basic energy policy will be revised by the middle of next year, indicating that the industry ministry will take the initiative in mapping out energy policies.
Responding to Kaieda's remark, Yasuchika Hasegawa, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives and a member of the government task force, said the government should persuade the public of the necessity of nuclear power generation from the viewpoint of stable electricity supplies.
Tadashi Okamura, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and another panel member from the business community, called on the government to ease public concern about the safety of nuclear power generation.
The March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, arousing strong concern about the safety of nuclear energy and making it difficult for utilities to resume operation of reactors idled for regular inspections.
Economic and fiscal policy minister Kaoru Yosano told the panel meeting that Japan should continue promoting nuclear power generation as a national policy.
Other panel members also supported maintaining the policy.
Meanwhile, 14 environmental groups in Japan, including WWF Japan and Greenpeace Japan, have issued a joint statement stressing that the government's closed-door deliberations on energy and environmental policies are unacceptable.
It is ''undemocratic'' that discussions ''extremely important to each person'' are being held without reflecting public opinion, they said.
(Distributed by Kyodo News on June 15, 2011)
