Japan Is Not Powerless – at Least During this Summer; Does a Power Crunch Loom?

First, the ministry responsible for Japan’s energy systems, METI, warned of critical power shortages and blackout risk during this summer and winter. Then, it dialed down the alarm and proclaimed the...

Détente in Japan’s Nuclear Winter? Or, Calm Before the Storm?

Japan’s nuclear power industry has faced its most difficult decade since the March 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi NPP. All the nation’s reactor were entirely shut down at one point. Now, aft...

Stalled Solar Push in Japan Has Government Mulling More Local Funding

Almost one in 11 towns and villages in Japan restrict or altogether ban development of utility-scale solar on their territory. Such caution is increasingly at odds with the national strategy to put r...

Offshore Wind Enters Pivotal Year in Japan

On June 11, the METI announced the results of Japan’s first commercial-scale offshore wind tender as the country starts to build a key pillar of its future energy strategy almost from scratch.This is...

Japan’s Steel Industry Plan to Cut CO2 Has Missing Links

Pressured to follow Japan’s net-zero commitments, the country’s top steel maker, and one of its biggest CO2 emitters, offered not one decarbonization plan but three. In a recent announcement Nippon S...