Hokkaido had over 40% of its electricity generated by renewable energy sources in fiscal 2023, nearly twice the national average and already above the maximum share that the central government is looking to achieve by 2030.
With use of renewables — especially wind power — expected to grow further, the local government has set a goal of getting 60% of its electricity from solar, on and offshore wind, biomass, hydropower, geothermal and some nuclear energy by 2030. For all of Japan, the average goal is to have between 36% and 38% of electricity be from renewables by then.
But while Hokkaido says it welcomes further investment to reach this goal, several questions remain: how much more renewable energy can the local grid take, who will foot the bill for upgrading it, and how will local firms and communities benefit from an increased usage of such electricity, some of which is supposed to be sent to Honshu.