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World Potential (JAPAN)
Changes in National Energy Policy
JThe world wide oil crises of the 1970's caused major changes
in national energy policy. During that period, the expansion
plans for electricity had been mainly based on large scale,
high efficiency thermal and nuclear power stations, together
with some amount of hydropower, mainly pumped-storage. The
electricity sector was dominated by ten privately owned power
companies which were responsible for supplying their respective
regions. They were supplemented by two corporations: the Electric
Power Development Co., and the Japan Atomic Power Co., which
sell the electricity from their power stations at the wholesale
level. In addition, 34 municipally owned and publicly managed
corporations sell the hydropower which they produce.
The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (abbreviated
as MITI) is responsible for the electricity sector. It was
compelled to work out a new national-energy plan which would
establish a long-term supply system. It embraced two main
policies: to diversify the energy resources, and to promote
the utilization of new and renewable energy resources. At
that time, 80% of primary energy and 75% of electricity generation
were using imported petroleum.
Hydropower was looked at again, as the most realistic source
of renewable energy with a sufficiently matured technology.
Furthermore, the concern about global environmental issues
re-enforced the necessity of promoting hydropower. For these
reasons, the Government encouraged the electric power companies
and other corporations to further develop hydropower of all
sizes. It may be small-or medium-scale installations, and
also upgrading of existing facilities. This may be combined
with pumped-storage. The remaining potential sites are not
always economical when measured by conventional standards,
because almost 60% of the natural resources are already exploited
according to a nation-wide government survey. MITI's promotion
scheme for hydropower encompasses various concrete measures,
including financial assistance to the owners for construction
and operation, subsidies to municipalities for installation
of public facilities where hydropower stations are constructed
and operated, and the like.
SHP In Japan
Changes in National
Energy Policy
The New Energy Foundation,
Hydropower Capacity and Energy Production
Legislation and Regulations
Licensing Procedures
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