Empty Energy Plan

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry released a blueprint of new Energy Basic Plan starting next year. It clearly changed the direction of current energy policy, which has been seeking zero option of nuclear power generation, into full use of the advantage of it. While the reason why nuclear energy needs to be reduced has been clear, why nuclear power became important is not clear. The plan can put this country in jeopardy, because next disaster in nuclear power generation site will be really fatal to this nation.

Considering the ability of stable supply, generation cost and low impact on global warming, the plan defined nuclear generation as an important basic power resource. It required using nuclear power with precise evaluation of total demands. However, this “basic resources” do not work at all now. All the nuclear reactors are halted in Japan. Against the overestimated necessity, Japan works as an independent country so far. So, what does “basic” mean?

The draft did not indicate the details of how much percentage nuclear generation will share future power supply, because it was unclear how many nuclear reactors will be resumed. It also avoided elaborating the possibility of new establishment of nuclear power plants, because they wanted to dodge criticisms against positive attitude in a situation that contaminated water in the First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant is uncontrollably flowing into the sea. It is obvious, however, that the ministry is trying to pave the way for resumption of halted nuclear plants by emphasizing the importance of them.

Surprisingly, the draft maintained the project of nuclear recycle, which is reusing plutonium extracted from used nuclear fuels. The project has kept on failing with technological difficulties in the examination stage. No positive future has been shown in the project. The failure of it means no solution in placing high-level nuclear waste in Japan. Even the fundamental condition for the operation of nuclear power generation is not provided.

The ministry is highly negative on renewable energy with no reason except dismissing everything that may disturb promotion of nuclear generation. Although the draft upheld “utmost acceleration” of renewable energy, mainly solar and wind power, it also emphasized the negative aspects of renewable energy such as high cost.

The draft looks like talking big dream of their empty hope. One possible reason why the ministry keeps on dismissing the zero option would be to deny the policies of former administration led by Democratic Party of Japan, because bureaucrats never want the administration to come back.