LDP: Nukes but not forever

February 13, 2014

LDP group: Nuclear power use must be transitional

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140213_02.html

A group from Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has proposed that the government stipulate the role of nuclear power as 'transitional' in the country's new energy policy.

The LDP-led coalition government has commissioned a panel to draft a new master plan for the country's mid- to long-term energy policy.

The panel is compiling a draft that would define nuclear energy as an 'important basic energy source' for the country. The government intends to draw up a policy that would include resumption of some nuclear reactors.

Taro Kono and other lawmakers within the ruling LDP are advocators of a nuclear-free society in the future.

On Wednesday, they met Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and handed over their proposal. It says the government's new master plan should be consistent with the party line that aims to establish an economic and social structure independent of nuclear power.

The proposal also requests the new policy include a roadmap to lessen the country's dependency on nuclear power, the building of no new reactors and ending reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.

Suga said the government will closely discuss the issue with the ruling party in working out on the new energy policy.

Feb. 12, 2014 - Updated 20:33 UTC