Gov't asks Japanese people to save power

July 1, 2014

Govt. calls for seasonal power saving nationwide

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140701_29.html

Japanese people are experiencing the first summer in which they have to endure heat without power from nuclear plants since the meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in March 2011.

The government is calling on households and firms across the nation to save power. But it hasn't set specific targets.

The power-saving campaign calls on people to try to save power from 9AM to 8PM on weekdays starting Tuesday through September 30th.

All nuclear reactors in Japan are now offline.
The government says although the minimum necessary amount of power to ensure a stable supply will be secured, the country has to be ready for possible emergencies.

Kansai Electric Power in western Japan and Kyushu Electric Power in southwestern Japan have been more dependent on nuclear power than other utilities. They're not expected to be able to fully meet demand on their own. The 2 utilities will receive power from their counterparts in eastern Japan.

The government indicated that it may set specific power- saving targets if it becomes hotter than expected or if any problems happen at power stations this summer.

Jul. 1, 2014 - Updated 04:46 UTC