Global Energy Policy Research

The Japanese Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) uses the same Japanese name with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Unfortunately, the quality of Japanese NRA is completely low, comparing with that of US-NRC.

”Nuclear Radiation – friend or enemy? Its safety and its benefits at low levels justify its wider acceptance”(in English and Japanese translation), by a worldwide group of Scientists for the Public Understanding of Radiation (SPUR), provided by Emeritus Professor Wade Allison, University of Oxford.

The health and economic prosperity of the human race depend on applications of science in engineering and medicine, and these have involved the outer (or electronic) part of atoms. Use of the inner (or nuclear) part has raised public and political apprehension when used for energy production but less so when used for human health e.g. following the legacy of Marie Curie. The cause of this concern is historical and cultural with no basis in science.

”Goal of Nuclear Regulation is comprehensive risk reduction”. (English coming soon). Contribution by Prof. Koji Okamoto, the University of Tokyo. Among persons concerned in energy industry, there are increasing doubts to the activity of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA). They have not discussed with nuclear operator nor academic society, but requiring purchases of equipment and so on, while operation of nuclear power plant is being stopped. The situation is such that under the name of “safety”, they are designating active fault, and asking cancellation of nuclear plants. However, since this is damaging to Japanese economy and risks have not been comprehensively considered, it may neither be useful for securing safety. Prof. Okamoto shows concerns that NRA’s policy is deviating from its “aim” of increasing safety and yielding a profit to the nation.

Last week, we introduced following articles.

In addition to the disaster due to the earthquake and tsunami, the Great East Japan Earthquake two years ago also brought another big disaster: the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. This accident caused radioactive contamination in neighboring towns and cities as well as the tragedy that even now, two years later, many residents cannot return to their own homes. Moreover, reactor decommissioning will reportedly take 40 years.

”Electric Power Industry: Reorganization is needed more than separation of electrical power production from power distribution and transmission – looking towards the future of nuclear power”(in Japanese). An interview with Kazuo Ishikawa, a policy maker. The government hammered out electricity liberalization by 2020 centering on separation of electrical power production from power distribution and transmission. However, would this have the necessary effect for consumers and the company of ‘reducing electricity price’? Furthermore, nothing has been decided on nuclear power generation. Will consistent policy be carried out? Ishikawa argues rather than that there is cost merit by the expansion of scale, and nuclear power should be separated and its government control in the new company.

“Decontamination of Fukushima, 1 millisievert target should be reconsidered”(in Japanese). After the nuclear accident, the target to make the annual exposed dose of 1mSv was set in Fukushima. As a result, decontamination is progressing very slowly and reconstruction is delayed. Contribution by Takaaki Ishii, journalist and fellow, Agora Institute, outlines present conditions and appeals its revision.

It is two years from the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster. We would like to extend our deepest condolence and sympathy for the victims of the disaster and of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident.

“Shale Gas Revolution and its Impact” (in Japanese). The shale gas is attracting worldwide attention today. This article is a contribution from Prof. Koichi Iwama, Wako University, who is known as one of the first energy analyst to analyze this. It shows its influence and problem intelligibly.

“Failure of Abenomix with burden of energy cost? – Report on Agora channel”　(Japanese only). GEPR’s body Agora now broadcasts Agora Channel (in Japanese) every Friday evening from 21:00　on net TV. On February 22, inviting Kazuo Ishikawa, former METI, Nobuo Ikeda, president of Agora Inc. discussed current energy policy. Due to recognition of active fault by the Nuclear Regulation Authority, electric power companies have fallen into financial crisis. The LDP administration does not seem to touch nuclear issue until the next Upper House election is over, so that not to cause friction. However, this could have significant adverse effect to overall economy, and top priority of the administration “Economic reform with Abenomics” could fail.

An economist Tatsuo Hatta contributed a column, “Energy Source Provision – from zero emission subsidies to carbon tax” (in Japanese). As you can see from examples of nuclear power and renewable energies, government’s support for energy in Japan are mostly in form of subsidies. Until now, this has been associated with pork barrel politics. Prof. Hatta questions this, and discusses validity of carbon tax. In addition to the effect of the measure against global warming which is an important issue of energy, the carbon tax attracts attention as a source of revenue of a new form in many countries.

We present columns on nuclear power and spent nuclear fuel issues.

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority is reconstructing systems such as establishing new safe installation criteria of a nuclear power plant. Although activity improving safety of nuclear power plants in Japan after Fukushima disaster is to be admired, strengthening of the regulation which only looks at active faults is being considered. Is effort which only looks at one aspect appropriate?

Months of dramatic press reports of radioactive leakage from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant in Japan have carried an apparently dire safety message; and industry, governments and the public worldwide have reacted that, at whatever cost, such an accident should never happen again. But, this is a mistake. Another accident like Fukushima, somewhere, sometime, should be avoided but would represent no global disaster.

The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant disaster has made Japan reconsider the role of nuclear power in its future. But for some reason we hear little about the non-disaster at the nearby Onagawa nuclear plant. What did not happen at Onagawa during the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami events could be much more relevant to Japan's nuclear power future than what happened at Fukushima.

Many lessons can be learned from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. First, if an isolation condenser (IC) continues to operate, the accident would be terminated soon. A reactor core isolation cooling (RCIC) steam turbine also stopped due to loss of battery power in Unit #2 and #3. suppression pool (S/P) temperature and pressure were so high that the accident management water injection took took too long time. After the loss of ECCS and IC core cooling, Containment Vessel pressure increased. Hydrogen explosion occurred after venting. The analysis results show that the depressurization of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) started before RPV bottom failure. It is hoped that the lessons learned from this accident will help to improve the safety of nuclear power plants worldwide.

Confronted with the wide-spread popular resentment towards nuclear energy in the wake of the March 2011 severe accident, the Japanese government under the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has taken steps to drastically reduce the country’s dependence upon nuclear energy: a base-load source of electricity at the level of 30-35% prior to the accident and even anticipated to grow up to 50% by 2030.

Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO) issued a press release on June 21 with the title [trans.] “Negawatt Trading for Large Customers Outside Kansai Electric Power’s Service Area.” The press release is available on the KEPCO website for further reading of the details　(in Japanese only). This announcement relates to the expansion of negawatt trading, which KEPCO calls the “Negawatt Plan” within its service area, to the part of the 60Hz power grid in Japan comprising the service areas of Chubu Electric Power, Hokuriku Electric Power, and Chugoku Electric Power.

Since the tsunami and ensuing reactor accidents at Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant in March last year, the author has freely conducted, as a scientist in the discipline of radiological protection science, on-site radiological hygiene surveys in an autonomous format apart from any organization. In the beginning, the most feared short-term nuclear hazard (risk factor) was considered to be thyroid doses from radioactive iodine. Tests were completed in April in last year for 40 evacuees from Namie-machi plus residents from the city of Nihonmatsu and Iitate Village. The results of these 66 individuals confirmed low doses of 8 mSv or less, approximately one thousandth of the Chernobyl accident’s maximum thyroid radiation dose of 50 Sv.

The author is a retired researcher, born in 1944 and currently 68 years old. After retirement, I established a start-up company NuSAC, venture company No. 55 of Tokyo Institute of Technology. I investigate nuclear energy technologies, and am currently recommending decontamination technologies for Fukushima Prefecture. One could call me an old researcher.

Energy and Environmental Council of Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, determined “Innovative Strategies for Energy and the Environment” on September 18th. It aims for zero-nuclear by 2013s and so on, and decided on long-term energy policy plan. Criticisms are growing for its feasibility and so on.

“Innovative Strategies for Energy and the Environment” (hereafter “Strategies”) has been determined by the state Energy and Environmental Council. Usually, bills in accordance with this are submitted to the Diet, and a new policy can be made. However, this time, since the Democratic Party of Japan administration is running scarce, it is not known to what degree this will be implemented as a bill. With less than one year of debate for such a long term problem as the energy policy until the 2030s, it is incomprehensible to make a last-minute decision during the waning years of the administration.

Last year's earthquake has stirred up a vigorous debate about the cost of generating electricity. It has already been introduced (through news stories) that the Commission for the Investigation of the Costs of the Cabinet Office's Energy and Environment Conference reevaluated the cost of generating electricity with nuclear power plants last December. But what is important here is to fairly evaluate "the inci　dental costs of electricity generation" for all sources of electricity and compare them in a table.

In May last year, then Prime Minister Naoto Kan requested shut down of Hamaoka nuclear power satation of Chubu Electric Power, saying that it is very likely to be the Tokai earthquake. As a result, the Company begun safety improvement works mainly tsunami measures on a scale of 140 billion yen. He reports the present condition at Hamaoka.

On June 15, 2012, the House of Representatives in Japan passed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Bill. The Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito reviewed and revised the draft put forth by the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, such that, for instance, the Commission’s organizational structure would instead be an “Article 3 Committee,” or a government agency with strong independence. Considered an improvement over the original draft, the final bill with all revisions intact appears likely to become law. Beginning with the appointments, the challenges now are how to actually staff and build the organization, and how to enhance genuine competency among the staff. This column discusses the appropriate format of a nuclear regulatory agency with a mission to protect citizens’ lives, in order to prevent nuclear disasters like the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident to recur.

In May last year, then Prime Minister Naoto Kan requested shut down of Hamaoka nuclear power satation of Chubu Electric Power, saying that it is very likely to be the Tokai earthquake. As a result, the Company begun safety improvement works mainly tsunami measures on a scale of 140 billion yen. He reports the present condition at Hamaoka.

On September 14th, Energy and Environmental Council of the Government of Japan, published. It determined the aim of the country to have zero nuclear power generation by the 2030s. Regarding this document, the government at first said it will “aim for decision by the cabinet council” with strong binding effect, however, on September 17th, changed it to ambiguous challenge, probably due to domestic repulsion. [c.f. Cabinet decision document “ About future energy and environmental policy” There is less interest towards Japan due to slump of its economic power, however, switch of energy policy of a country with 3rd largest quantity of generation of nuclear in the world in 2010, drew attention.

Editorial column, on September 17th. It views zero-nuclear negatively and as a “dream”.

Its editorial column of September 17th . It evaluates this policy as decisive, though its handling may change with future change of government, an economical argument and so on.

We introduce the report published in August by Richard Armitage, the former deputy secretary of state, and Joseph Nye, Proffessor at Harvard University, together with CSIS. “The U.S.- Japan Alliance” The report proposes such as use of nuclear power generation, the international joint ownership of the lessons of the Fukushima accident, and the sale of the American shale gas.

In the final report by the government's Investigation Committee on the Accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations of Tokyo Electric Power Company, there are some important yet less than eye-catching findings. The account of the incident involving the deaths of approximately 50 patients at Futaba Hospital (Okuma Town, Fukushima Prefecture) and its associated nursing facilities stretches over eight pages.

A review in energy policy looks more and more likely, and hopes for renewable energies are growing. We sought the comments of Takejiro Sueyoshi, special advisor to the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), who is also an opinion leader in environmental and energy issues.

Receiving the request of then-Prime Minister Naoto Kan, Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station of Chubu Electric Power (Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture) shut down its reactor operations in May last year. Today, at a cost of 140 billion yen, large-scale construction work on tsunami countermeasures and other improvements continue at the site in an effort to enhance safety further. GEPR editorial staff visited the site in early August to report on the developments.

I would like to express my heartfelt concerns toward everyone who has been affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, particularly the evacuees who have been subjected to the problems associated with the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant.

It is common knowledge that the world is set to go from six to nine billion people in the next 20-30 years. In order to cope with the energy challenges encompassed in this daunting thought, there are three questions which many nations must face.

At the April 27, 2012 conference by the the feed-in tariff rates appraisal committee of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the committee chairman's plan for a feed-in tariff (hereinafter FIT) to be enacted in July was approved. Under this plan, energy generated by photovoltaic means (hereinafter PV) of less than 10kW, for example, will be purchased at a price of 42 JPY/kWh for 10 years (however, for household use, when the extant subsidy of 35,000 JPY/kW is taken into account, it amounts to approximately 48 JPY), while amounts greater than 10kW will be purchased at 42 JPY/kW for 20 years (Table 1). The expectation is that the FIT will create a large scale demand for renewable energy, and will simultaneously cause a decrease in the unit price of products and lead to the stimulation of related industries and job creation through increased demand.

For nearly half of a century, I had made it my job to promote nuclear power, but no sooner had I retired than I myself was forced to evacuate by the nuclear incident. It is quite the ironic story.

The English version of the official report released by the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (NAIIC) of the National Diet of Japan contains a preface message by the chairman with the following passage.

Debate about the nuclear power and the world after Fukushima nuclear accident continues in Japan. We introduce topics for readers to think about the issue of atomic energy.

Low or moderate radiation doses and dose rates are harmless, but the public health effects of a misunderstood accident like the one at Fukushima are dangerous, to individuals and to the society and economy at large. Perceptions of the health threat posed by the released radioactivity have been magnified by overly cautious international "safety" standards. The consequential collapse of confidence and widespread fear are unrelated to the physical effect of the radiation on human life. Contrary to the view expressed by the recent NAIIC Report this is a significant international problem, not a purely national Japanese one.

Smart meters, which transmits detailed information of electricity usage, is attracting attention as means for power saving. In addition, there is expectation that new industry may occur by using these information. Korean information appliance venture "Nuri Telecom" installed smart meters to 270,000 houses in Sweden. Mr. Masayuki Suzuki, president of Japanese subsidiary contributed "Will Smart Meter Change Society? - From the experience of installing smart meters to 270,000 houses."

Ministry of the Environment of Japan began a service to display potential location for renewable energy on a Japanese map by using Google Earth.

This article showed reserves of the shale gas. Reserves are abundant in the United States and China, countries with high energy consumptions. Therefore, it points out that it is benefitial for both energy security and global warming policy.

The Japanese government proposed policy options in June about the future of energy policy and nuclear power, and people begun to debate these issues. GEPR provides necessary information in order to consider them appropriately.

It has been some time since I started studying the energy supply problems in Japan from the standpoint of the consumer-side and I have never been so busy than in the last year. In April 2011, after the Great East Japan Earthquake, I set up a website called “Power Savings in an Emergency” with other volunteers in order to organize and provide information on power savings. Subsequently many people have accessed it.

Starting with the Kansai Electric's Oi Nuclear Plant, there is an ongoing state of disarray surrounding the restarting of nuclear power plants across the country. The government has been trying to proceed with restarting the reactors, but with local mayors and residents standing in opposition, it is still unclear whether this will happen. Then on May 5, all of Japan's reactors were shut down.

The government has decided to institute electrical power-demand countermeasures over an extended three-month period running from July to September. Businesses and homes will be asked to broadly conserve electricity. Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO), in particular, is facing a 15% power conservation requirement referenced to peak demand during the summer of 2010—a consequence of not being permitted to restart Oi Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4. Although a power usage restriction order was avoided, business activities, home life, and consumption could sustain a serious negative impact in the Kansai Region, whose weakened economy will be further harmed.