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information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise

Halting clean energy access

October 1, 2014

Under strain, utilities halt new access to clean energy

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201410010034

By KUNIAKI NISHO/ Staff Writer

Three regional utilities have temporarily suspended grid access for new clean energy producers, citing the risk of overload.

Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Tohoku Electric Power Co., and Shikoku Electric Power Co. said they will not accept new applications from renewable energy developers as of Oct. 1.

Kyushu Electric Power Co. and Okinawa Electric Power Co. have already limited such access.

The move threatens the government's alternative energy push following the Fukushima nuclear crisis that unfolded in 2011.

The utilities said any further increase in their purchase of new energy through the government's feed-in-tariff system could cause blackouts and other glitches due to the limited capacity of their electricity distribution networks.

The government introduced the feed-in-tariff program in July 2012 with the aim of doubling the country's renewable energy dependence from around 10 percent to more than 20 percent.

The program offers attractive rates to alternative energy developers and triggered a boom in clean energy projects, particularly solar power.

The suspensions were announced during a meeting of the industry ministry’s New and Renewable Energy Subcommittee on Sept. 30. The ministry set up a working panel the same day to decide the next step.

Okinawa Electric suspended new orders for clean energy from early August, while Kyushu Electric started limiting access from Sept. 25.

The utilities, excluding Okinawa Electric, will continue to purchase surplus energy produced by households.

According to the industry ministry, about half of the solar energy producers using the feed-in tariff system are in the utilities' service areas.

The availability of inexpensive, large land lots has helped solar energy production expand in the zones. They do not cover the three major metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.

Solar energy production capacity fluctuates greatly depending on time of day and season, the utilities said. A surge in energy supply can impair utility distribution equipment and cause blackouts.

The industry ministry's working panel will discuss measures to encourage utilities to continue increasing the procurement of renewable energy, such as creating a system to allow regional utilities to exchange surplus electricity.

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