Tag - utilities

 
 

UTILITIES

JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 7, 2015
Kagoshima residents appeal court's go-ahead to restart Sendai reactors
Residents have appealed a court decision last month dismissing calls to prevent two reactors from being restarted at the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 1, 2015
NRA's approval of Sendai nuclear plant ignores Nankai quake risk, seismologist warns
The nation's new nuclear regulator ignored earthquake risk and its own rules in approving the safety of the Sendai nuclear plant, said Kobe University professor and seismologist Katsuhiko Ishibashi.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 22, 2015
Kagoshima court rejects injunction against Sendai reactor restarts
The Kagoshima District Court on Wednesday dismissed a provisional injunction to block the restart of two more nuclear reactors in the prefecture, brushing aside the concerns of local residents worried about the safety of the plant.
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2015
2014 nuclear power output at zero
Nuclear power output stood at zero throughout fiscal 2014 for the first time since the country began commercial operation of its first nuclear plant in fiscal 1966, the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan said Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 12, 2015
Reactor closures to test Abe's green energy pledges
Japan's plan to mothball at least five aging nuclear reactors highlights the challenge Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces as his administration debates how to replace lost electricity generation with power sources that are cheap, clean and safe.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 7, 2015
LDP proposes future energy policy heavy on nuclear power
Ruling party lawmakers proposed to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday that Japan generate around 60 percent of its electricity from stable sources, a figure that meets international standards but also suggests continued reliance on nuclear power.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 6, 2015
Japan could triple power from renewable energy sources by 2030: ministry study
Japan has the potential by 2030 to triple the amount of electricity it gets from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, an environment ministry study showed.
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2015
Japan takes first step in power sector reform
Japan has taken the first step in its power industry shake-up with by establishing a nationwide grid management body on Wednesday, following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that exposed the vulnerability of the nation's power system and pushed up electricity prices.
BUSINESS
Mar 10, 2015
More than 60% want to change home electric supplier after liberalization, survey suggests
Some 64 percent of people responding to an online survey say they want to change their electric power supplier when the household market is freed up in April 2016 and new entrants are allowed.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 3, 2015
Cabinet approves bill to achieve final stage of power sector reform
The Cabinet approved a bill on Tuesday that will separate electricity generation from its transmission in April 2020, the third and final stage of a shake-up of Japan's power industry in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2015
Massive power blackout hits Nagano Prefecture
An estimated 380,000 homes in Nagano Prefecture lose power for three hours in Chubu Electric Power Co.'s service area.
BUSINESS
Feb 18, 2015
Britain approves world's largest offshore wind farm
Britain's energy ministry has approved the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck offshore wind project, the world's biggest offshore wind park, it said in a statement on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 9, 2015
Tepco and Chubu Electric to merge thermal power plant operations
Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Chubu Electric Power Co. will transfer operation of their thermal power plants to a new 50-50 joint venture, creating a huge thermal power company with a dominating market share, the two utilities said on Monday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 8, 2015
Tepco and Chubu Electric to merge existing thermal power plants
Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Chubu Electric Power Co. will transfer operations of their existing thermal power plants to a new joint venture, creating a huge thermal power company with a dominating market share.
JAPAN
Jan 18, 2015
Lawsuit-leery opponents drop restart petition against reactors in Kagoshima
Some of the people seeking a court injunction to halt the restart of Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s nuclear plant in the town of Sendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, have dropped their petitions, their lawyers said.
EDITORIALS
Jan 16, 2015
Uphold safety in gas liberalization
While market liberalization of retail gas sales should be pursued in order to lower fees for consumers, the arguments by major gas suppliers for a safe and stable supply of city gas make sense.
BUSINESS
Jan 14, 2015
Reactor decommissioning costs to be passed to all power users
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry decided Wednesday that the cost to nuclear plant operators of decommissioning reactors should be passed on to all electricity users in principle even after the electricity market is fully opened to newcomers in 2016.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2015
¥131 billion earmarked in upcoming budget for renewable energy
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WORLD / Science & Health
Jan 8, 2015
Mineral may lead to better, cheaper solar cells
Materials that may be cheaper and more efficient than silicon at converting the sun's rays into electricity could be key to the next generation of solar power, scientists say.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 2, 2015
Nuclear motive suspected in feed-in tariff reforms
Renewable power in Japan wavers as critics flag “reforms” to the feed-in tariff system as a bid to discourage the scorching growth of renewable energy providers.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals