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Japanese law requires the government to have an energy strategy plan in place. Japan's current energy strategy plan provides for nuclear power to provide 30% of the electricity, rising to 50% in a few years by building additional nuclear power stations. However, contrary to the current strategy plan the figure below shows, that Japan essentially switched off all nuclear power over the last year, with 2 exceptions. A new energy strategy plan is delayed, but could be announced in the next few days. The Cabinet is in a dilemma to decide between the interests of the pro-nuclear business association Keidanren and the pro-nuclear electrical industry and considerable anti-nuclear movements in the general (voting) population. One major problem is that Japan's energy architecture has not been updated for a very long time. The contribution of renewable energy is so minute, that it would be too small to be seen on the figures below. Our Japan-Energy report explains the major issues facing Japan's energy architecture and its structure. Japan's energy peak is in summer, there were no black-outs, or brown-outs - how did Japan manage successfully despite the sudden unplanned exit from nuclear power? Read below... How did Japan cope with the sudden exit from nuclear power? |