Photo/Illutration The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Government discussions on the seventh Basic Energy Plan, which will chart the course of the nation’s energy policy for the coming years, are in the final stages.

While prioritizing energy conservation and the expansion of renewable energy sources to achieve a decarbonized society, the program needs to stick to the mantra of “reducing dependence on nuclear power,” a policy imperative based on the triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in 2011.

The current sixth national energy policy, which was decided in 2021, outlined the energy mix for 2030. This time, the energy roadmap is expected to include the energy mix for 2040 and will be presented in draft form by the end of the year.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said discussions in its advisory council on this matter led to a “common understanding” that “future electricity demand is likely to increase” and that an “expansion of both renewable energy and nuclear power is necessary.”

This suggests the ministry is seeking to incorporate the previous Kishida administration’s 2022 policy decision to seek “maximum utilization” of nuclear power generation into the new plan.

However, even if nuclear power is used transitionally, expanding it on the same scale as renewable energy, which has been designated as the future main power source, is unrealistic. This could serve as a disincentive for investment in renewable energy.

Pro-nuclear advocates dominate the METI panel, and there are growing calls to remove the policy principle of “reducing dependence on nuclear power generation as much as possible,” which was included in the fourth to sixth plans compiled after the nuclear accident.

Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), the nation’s powerful business lobby, and the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan share this view. The opposition Democratic Party for the People has even requested Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to “clearly state new construction and expansion” of nuclear plants in the new plan.

However, we must not forget the origin of this policy. The fourth plan, released in 2014, declared: “The energy strategy envisioned before the Great East Japan Earthquake is to be reviewed from scratch, and dependence on nuclear power is to be reduced as much as possible. It goes without saying that this is the starting point for rebuilding the nation’s energy policy.”

This proclamation was crafted through meticulous deliberations. It was based on “deep remorse” for failing to prevent the disastrous consequences of the severe nuclear accident, albeit recognizing that nuclear power is an important source of energy to ensure a stable energy supply.

The fundamental risks and complicated problems associated with nuclear power generation have remained unchanged since then.

Formidable challenges related to decommissioning the crippled reactors at the Fukushima plant and the issue of how to deal with highly radioactive “nuclear waste” are far from resolved. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the risk of nuclear power plants becoming military targets.

The Noto Peninsula earthquake on Jan. 1 further underscored the difficulty of evacuation in the event of a complex disaster.

The economic efficiency of harnessing atomic energy, once considered an advantage, is now in doubt due to rising costs for safety measures.

It should also be acknowledged that achieving the current target of raising the share of nuclear power in the total energy mix to 20-22 percent by 2030 is a tall order.

Solar and wind power generation are rapidly expanding worldwide. Japan should follow the global trend and work to make renewable energy the primary power source in ways that ensure harmonious coexistence with local communities.

The new Basic Energy Plan must outline a path to make up for years of delayed progress toward a clean energy future.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 29

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