One of the worrying directions in Japan's energy policy is the emphasis on coal-fired thermal power plants — which are more cost efficient than natural gas-fired plants but emit roughly twice the amount of carbon dioxide. The government's Basic Energy Plan calls coal-fired thermal power a key source of electricity supply that excels in terms of fuel supply stability and cost advantage.
The draft of its long-term energy mix forecast assumes that coal will account for 26 percent of the nation's total electricity generation in 2030. Power companies are announcing plans to build one new coal-fired thermal power plant after another.
Such developments run counter to the moves in many other industrialized economies, which are seeking to cut back on coal-fired power generation as part of the fight against climate change. Japan's financial aid for developing countries to buy Japanese coal-fired power generation technology may also expose the nation to growing international criticism. The government and the power industry should rethink the policy and the plans.
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