ID :
173923
Thu, 04/07/2011 - 20:49
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/173923
The shortlink copeid
Gov't eyes curbing household power use in summer by 15-20%+
TOKYO, April 8 Kyodo -
The government plans to ask households to reduce electricity use by 15-20 percent from a year earlier to cope with power shortages expected in Japan's eastern and northeastern regions this summer, a draft of the plan's outline showed Thursday.
The plan will be formally proposed at a government task force meeting on Friday on power-saving measures to be implemented in the service areas of Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Tohoku Electric Power Co., both of which have suffered damage in their power generation facilities due to the March 11 quake and tsunami.
The plan will be fleshed out toward the end of this month so that the government can compile a policy package by then, according to the paper obtained by Kyodo News.
Under estimates shown by the paper, the government expects a power shortage of up to 18.3 million kilowatts in summer, of which 5.5 million kw are to be made up for by boosting the two utilities' power generation capacities. The government intends to cover the remaining 12.8 million kw through power demand curbs.
The paper also said that rolling blackouts, which have been carried out by Tokyo Electric since the quake, should be terminated in principle as they are an ''unavoidable emergency measure taken so as not to trigger unpredictable massive blackouts.''
To address the supply-demand gap, large-lot electricity customers with contracts to use over 500 kw would also be expected to reduce their maximum power consumption by about 25 percent between 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays during the three months starting from July from the peak demand hours last summer.
Companies and other entities would be advised to craft a plan that will lead to ''a change in lifestyle,'' the paper said, touching on such efforts as reducing or moving up operating hours, as well as keeping their employees from taking summer holidays.
But given that such voluntary power-cutting measures may not be enough to deal with the anticipated power shortage, the government will invoke legal curbs on power consumption based on the Electricity Business Law, the paper said.
Smaller-lot customers and households would be asked to strive voluntarily to cut power consumption by about 20 percent and about 15-20 percent, respectively. The margins may change in the final policy package, however.
The government would also step up efforts to make sure that energy-saving efforts will be implemented by each household, the paper said.
Meanwhile, the two utilities intend to restore thermal power generation facilities damaged in the quake and through other measures with a view to boosting their supply power.
The government plans to ask households to reduce electricity use by 15-20 percent from a year earlier to cope with power shortages expected in Japan's eastern and northeastern regions this summer, a draft of the plan's outline showed Thursday.
The plan will be formally proposed at a government task force meeting on Friday on power-saving measures to be implemented in the service areas of Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Tohoku Electric Power Co., both of which have suffered damage in their power generation facilities due to the March 11 quake and tsunami.
The plan will be fleshed out toward the end of this month so that the government can compile a policy package by then, according to the paper obtained by Kyodo News.
Under estimates shown by the paper, the government expects a power shortage of up to 18.3 million kilowatts in summer, of which 5.5 million kw are to be made up for by boosting the two utilities' power generation capacities. The government intends to cover the remaining 12.8 million kw through power demand curbs.
The paper also said that rolling blackouts, which have been carried out by Tokyo Electric since the quake, should be terminated in principle as they are an ''unavoidable emergency measure taken so as not to trigger unpredictable massive blackouts.''
To address the supply-demand gap, large-lot electricity customers with contracts to use over 500 kw would also be expected to reduce their maximum power consumption by about 25 percent between 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays during the three months starting from July from the peak demand hours last summer.
Companies and other entities would be advised to craft a plan that will lead to ''a change in lifestyle,'' the paper said, touching on such efforts as reducing or moving up operating hours, as well as keeping their employees from taking summer holidays.
But given that such voluntary power-cutting measures may not be enough to deal with the anticipated power shortage, the government will invoke legal curbs on power consumption based on the Electricity Business Law, the paper said.
Smaller-lot customers and households would be asked to strive voluntarily to cut power consumption by about 20 percent and about 15-20 percent, respectively. The margins may change in the final policy package, however.
The government would also step up efforts to make sure that energy-saving efforts will be implemented by each household, the paper said.
Meanwhile, the two utilities intend to restore thermal power generation facilities damaged in the quake and through other measures with a view to boosting their supply power.
