The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will abolish its 10-year electric power development program as early as November as it aims to further liberalize the market, it was learned Saturday.
But the ministry will also create a new program to promote the development of nuclear and other large-scale power plants, as the involvement of the national government is considered necessary to fulfill the long-term aim of securing the nation's energy supplies, ministry officials said.
METI plans to submit to the Diet a bill to abolish the 1952 power development promotion law, which requires that the government update the program each year, during the current session, they said.