The government officially shifted its energy policy away from nuclear power Friday with the release of an interim report vowing to pare reliance on atomic energy.

Friday's report is in line with an earlier pronouncement by Prime Minister Naoto Kan that the nation should reduce its dependence on nuclear energy — a remark he later termed his "personal opinion" after taking flak for failing first to consult with his Cabinet.

Mired in the worst nuclear crisis since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, the government has been carrying out a complete rethink of its energy policy, a basic outline of which is expected by the end of the year.