This Week's Update — Reconsidering Promotion Measures of Renewable Energy in Japan (14th May, 2012)
This Week’s Column
A number of observers criticized FIT that is a payback policy program to promote renewable energy which starts this July in Japan. It forces power companies to purchase renewable energy generated such as by solar power. Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is planning that the purchase prices of solar power to be 42 yen (about 50 US cents) per 1kWh. The price is high and would be a burden to the Japanese economy.
１）Kenji Asano, Research Scientist of Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, contributes“Three Proposals to Avoid Enthusiasm of Solar Power”. He researched European FIT policies and proposes three measures. 1) Cutting the purchase prices, 2) Collecting information about solar panel prices and capacity, 3) Defining clearly burdens of economy. This could be a realistic improvement measures.(English Translation Coming Soon)
２）Various opinions about the future of nuclear power generation, have been proposed Mr. Kazunari Kainou, researcher, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI), contributed "Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident and the Future of Energy Policy".
Mr. Kainou, considers this accident from a unique perspective, by analyzing statistics of situation of the Fukushima Daiichi power station. No.1 and No.2 reactors in Fukushima plant are old type BWR (Boiling Water Reactor), and prior to the accident, small operation troubles had been increasing. He points out that TEPCO did not increase repair costs and administrative expenses, despite using these old reactors, aw well as the possibility that it may have been a mistake made by TEPCO top managers in the continued use of old type nuclear reactors.
Considering points made by him, Japan's nuclear power plants, if properly managed, would not cause accident in the same way as the Fukushima nuclear power plant. We should analysis risks of nuclear power plants from several points of view.
This Week’s Report
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Special issue: Low-level radiation risks, May/June 2012
Famous American website ”Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists” reports Low-level radiation risks.
