Page 7 - AsiaElec Week 23 2022

AsiaElec POLICY AsiaElec

Japan asks companies,

households to save power

JAPAN THE Japanese government is to companies and drop to minus 0.6% in January in the Tokyo Elec-
households across the country to save electricity tric service area, the government said.
ahead anticipated shortages in the coming sum- “We will take every possible measure includ-
mer and winter, Mainichi Japan reported. ing the activation of idle electricity sources and
It will be the first time since 2015 that the gov- procuring additional fuels, as well as the utiliza-
ernment has filed such a request on a nationwide tion of renewables and nuclear power as much as
scale. possible,” industry minster Koichi Hagiuda said.
In a cabinet meeting, Chief Cabinet Secretary The minister of economy, trade and industry
Hirokazu Matsuno asked the public to conserve said the government will ask the public to turn
energy but said the government will not set off unnecessary lights and set air conditioners at
numerical targets to address supply concerns, at 28C.
least for this summer. Prior to the ministerial meeting, the Minis-
While most of the nuclear power plants in try of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said
the country remain offline under stricter safety it would develop an alert system to request the
regulations imposed since the Fukushima public to save power, in addition to the current
nuclear accident, an increasing number of ther- power crunch warning system.
mal power plants have been closed down due to Other measures include restrictions targeting
aging. large companies and procedures for a smooth
Such developments have led to a reduction in execution of intentional power outages in desig-
Japan’s overall electricity supply capabilities. nated areas to avoid large-scale blackouts.
Officials say it is necessary to secure at least In July, the supply reserve rate is projected
3% of the reserve rate for a stable power sup- to fall to 3.8% in the service areas of five utilities
ply. But the government projects the rate will including Kansai Electric Power Co. and Kyushu
dwindle to 3.1% in July in three areas served Electric Power Co.
by Tohoku Electric Power Co., Tokyo Electric The rate is likely to drop to 1.3% in January
Power Company Holdings Inc., and Chubu in the service areas of six utilities -- Chubu,
Electric Power Co. Hokuriku, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and
It is also expected that the reserve rate will Kyushu electric power companies.™

Week 23 08•June•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P7