Japan eyes renewable energy deregulation: report

Japan eyes renewable energy deregulation: report
TOKYO | Wed Oct 19, 2011 11:17pm EDT

(Reuters) - Japanese cabinet ministers will call on the government to ease rules on building geothermal, wind and hydraulic power plants to boost renewable energy use after the Fukushima nuclear crisis, the Nikkei business daily reported on Thursday.

The world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, triggered by a huge earthquake and tsunami in March, has heightened public safety concerns and kept 44 of Japan's 54 nuclear reactors off-line.

Following the atomic disaster, Japan vowed to review from scratch the country's energy policy, which previously had aimed to rely on nuclear power for more than 50 percent of the country's electricity supply by 2030.

A panel of cabinet ministers in charge of energy and environmental issues will make a 93-point list of recommendations to the government on cutting costs and saving time to build more renewable energy plants, the Nikkei said without citing sources.

For instance, it will recommend that ...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/20/us-japan-energy-idUSTRE79J0G020111020