Nuclear Resurge

Just as having waited for the victory of nuclear-familiar Liberal Democrats, nuclear villagers became active to get reactors started. Collecting every possible reason that people need nuclear power, electric power companies step up its way to make nuclear generation prevalent in all over Japan again. It is hard for anti-nuclear movement to deter the surges of those people living on nuclear generation.

Nuclear Regulation Authority approved resumption of two reactors in Takahama Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui owned by Kansai Electric Power Company. After thirteen days of collecting public comments, the authority will officially allow them to work. This will be the second case of resumption, following Sendai Power Plant in Kagoshima. Kansai Power submitted request of resumption July 2013 and raised its warning level against earthquake, which met new regulation of the authority.

The government of Japan has been worried about higher price of electricity. Cost for fossil fuel of all power plants in Japan rose by ¥3.6 trillion from the level before the great earthquake three years ago. However, the structure of power supply which allows generation companies add its cost on price of electric power has not been changed. Some manufacturers moved its factories to escape expensive electricity.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is one of the people who are deeply concerning heavy burden on businesses. Higher electricity price is a threat for growth. Even if the administration delivers supportive policy for companies, including corporate tax ease, high utility price may fundamentally disturb achievement of Abenomics. So, the government is more dependent on nuclear power, ignoring its potential cost in disaster.

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry started discussion for replacing old nuclear reactors. Abe administration aims to reduce dependence on nuclear power as much as possible. To fulfill its ambition to increase nuclear power, METI prepared rhetoric that the replacement would be needed. “It will be hard for power companies or local governments around nuclear plant to decide abolition of nuclear reactors, if future vision of nuclear power compensating alternative power supply,” told temporary draft of a report of METI. It is a man-made rhetoric that nuclear power is needed for abolishing nuclear reactors.

Followed by positive attitude of the government, power companies started showing bold actions. J Power submitted request of security check for new Oma Nuclear Power Plant to NRA. It was the first attempt of constructing additional nuclear reactor to submit the request. Not only resuming halted reactors, power companies began to think building new facility in this nuclear devastated land. Desire of the Japanese for energy has not fundamentally changed from the time it aggressed Indonesia in the World War II.