Nuclear-free Japan not to lack power
TOKYO - Reuters
Kansai Power’s nuclear power plant reactor No. 2 is seen in Ohi, Japan.
Japan will be able to avoid power cuts this summer even if the nation’s last few nuclear reactors cease operating due to public safety fears after the Fukushima crisis, the government said on Jan 27.Until the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, nuclear energy provided a third of Japan’s power. But public anxiety since the disaster, which triggered a radiation crisis at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, has prevented the restart of reactors shut for routine checks.
Only three of the nation’s 54 reactors remain in use and all are due to go off-line by the spring, despite government efforts to regain public trust in the industry.
The loss of nuclear power has raised fears of forced power rationing and temporary blackouts in the summer peak demand
period, when air conditioning puts extra strains on supply.
But Trade Minister Yukio Edano said there was a good chance of coping without such mandatory cuts on electricity usage even if all the reactors were shut.
