Energy future: what challenges for Japan?

 February 11, 2014

Editorial: Gov't must ask public if they're prepared to pay extra to kill nuclear power

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/perspectives/news/20140211p2a00m0na003000c.html

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to approve a basic plan on energy, which outlines Japan's mid- and long-term energy policy, as early as the end of this month.

The government intends to only partially revise the wording of a phrase that attaches importance to atomic power in the original draft before approving it at a Cabinet meeting. The move follows the victory of former Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe over anti-nuclear candidates in the Feb. 9 Tokyo gubernatorial election, in which the pros and cons of ending Japan's reliance on atomic power was a key point of contention.

However, it is essential for the government to show the people a road map toward ending Japan's dependence on nuclear power, while clarifying the extra costs that each and every member of the general public will need to shoulder. Mere fine tuning of the policy as a stopgap measure is far from making a convincing case to the public.

The original draft that an advisory council to the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry worked out at the end of last year is based on the assumption that Japan will continue to rely on nuclear power, representing a departure from the "zero nuclear" policy adopted by the previous administration led by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

The Cabinet had previously intended to adopt the basic energy plan by the end of January. However, it postponed a decision not only because the Abe government gave consideration to the Tokyo gubernatorial election, but because some members within the ruling coalition raised questions about the draft's description of nuclear power as "an important base power source that serves as the foundation" for the nation's energy supply.

Regarding the ratio of atomic power to total electricity consumed in Japan, the original draft states, "The scale of nuclear power necessary should be sufficiently ascertained and that amount should be secured." The government intends to water down this phrase in the final draft.

Prime Minister Abe told the ongoing Diet session, "We can't easily say, 'We'll stop nuclear power.'" Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also told the Diet that the government will not change its position that nuclear power is a foundational power source. In other words, the government has no intention of changing its basic direction of maintaining nuclear power even though it plans to partially change the wording of the original draft, which could be viewed as a cosmetic change aimed merely at dodging criticism from anti-atomic power forces.

Some government officials say that the outcome of the Tokyo gubernatorial race demonstrates that the public supports the plan to restart idled nuclear reactors. However, they should keep in mind that Masuzoe, who won the election, has declared that he is in favor of decreasing Japan's reliance on atomic power. Moreover, the government's policy of maintaining nuclear power for the foreseeable future runs counter to a campaign pledge that the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) made in the 2012 House of Representatives election to establish a socioeconomic structure that does not need to rely on atomic energy.

The myth of nuclear reactors' perfect safety has collapsed following the March 2011 outbreak of the Fukushima nuclear crisis. Such being the case, the government should pursue a society that does not rely on atomic power, just as the LDP pledged to the public before its December 2012 landslide election victory. The government should also clearly declare that it will abandon the nuclear fuel cycle project, in which spent nuclear fuel is reprocessed and reused in nuclear plants, since the project runs counter to the LDP's campaign pledge.

There is no denying that the whole of society would be required to shoulder extra financial burdens if Japan is to eliminate atomic power. If all nuclear power stations were to be promptly shut down while natural gas and other fuel prices remain high, electricity charges would rise, possibly dealing a serious blow to the economy. Generating more power at thermal power stations could contribute to global warming. Japan's excessive reliance on imported fossil fuel is also risky in terms of energy security.

The government should clarify these challenges and try to find the best ways to minimize the effect that phasing out nuclear power will have on the economy, the environment and security. The government should also ask the public if they are prepared to shoulder the remaining costs of decreasing the country's dependence on nuclear power. The basic plan on energy is essential for these efforts.

February 11, 2014(Mainichi Japan)