The Wall Street Journal reports,"Japan will continue to rely on nuclear power as a central part of its energy policy under a draft government plan, effectively overturning a pledge by a previous administration to phase out all nuclear plants".
Skepticism about nuclear power has been running high among people in Japan since the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, the worst nuclear disaster globally since Chernobyl. But Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made it clear since taking office in late 2012 that he aims to restart reactors that are deemed to be safe under new regulations.
Currently, none of Japan's 48 reactors are in operation. Seventeen are undergoing screening for possible restarts by the Nuclear Regulation Authority under stricter regulations introduced after Fukushima.
The government's proposal is meant to provide a plan for Japan's energy future in the next 20 years. The outline will become official after an expected approval by the cabinet.
It says that "nuclear power is an important baseload electricity source," meaning that nuclear plants would remain at the core of power production along with coal-fired and hydroelectric power plants.
Officials said nuclear energy remained an important way to reduce Japan's imports of fuel from the Middle East and limit carbon dioxide emissions. Mr. Abe has also described nuclear power as vital to keeping Japanese industry competitive.
The sudden pullback from nuclear power since the Fukushima accident "has increased our dependence on fossil fuels," said Japanese energy official Toshikazu Okuya. "Money has flowed out of the country and electricity prices have risen."
However, in an indication of the uncertainty created by cautious public opinion, the plan didn't specify how much of Japan's future power should come from nuclear plants. "It was impossible to plan any energy mix, as it's been unclear how many reactors can come back online," Industry Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters.
