Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumJapan in U-turn over nuclear policy
The draft of a new Basic Energy Plan, made public on Tuesday, calls nuclear power an important baseload electricity source and effectively reverses a decision made by a previous government in 2012 to close all of Japans atomic power plants over the next several decades.
...snip...
The new Basic Plan, which is expected to be approved by Mr Abes cabinet by the end of March, could open the door to a broader nuclear revival, possibly even including the construction of new reactors. Though polls show a majority of Japanese remain antagonistic to atomic power after Fukushima, there are pockets of support in some areas that are home to plants, which bring jobs and subsidies.
In an election for governor in western Yamaguchi prefecture on Sunday, Tsugumasa Muraoka, a former interior ministry bureaucrat supported by Mr Abes Liberal Democratic party, defeated a pair of anti-nuclear candidates who had campaigned against plans to build a new plant in the town of Kaminoseki. The construction plan was approved before Fukushima but has been on hold since. In practice, the commitment by Mr Kan to eliminate nuclear power before 2040 had eroded almost since the start. Mr Kans own cabinet offered only qualified endorsement of the policy, and Mr Abes government has in effect ignored it.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/3ee7c4f2-9dd6-11e3-83c5-00144feab7de.html#axzz2uKk4Ivn9
"Possibly even including the construction of new reactors"? They restarted construction of new reactors at least a year ago.
madokie
(51,076 posts)if you don't sign up they won't let you read any of the articles.
I'm not sure an article in Financial Times is what I would call an unbiased opinion anyway.
Oh well
FBaggins
(26,742 posts)So bias isn't an issue.
And the link didn't make me sign up for anything. Maybe they do that after you've read more than a certain number of articles in the month?
Here's another source:
http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=22659004
madokie
(51,076 posts)just betting on a come
kristopher
(29,798 posts)...in spite of a clear and open process that showed overwhelming public desire to move away from it.
Draconian secrecy act, renouncing the anti-war constitution, embracing the war ethos symbolized by Yasukuni Shrine and denying Japanese war atrocities like the Rape of Nanking and widespread forced prostitution are only a sampling of what this government all about.
Nuclear fits right into their worldview.
madokie
(51,076 posts)They're going to cram it down the peoples throat whether they want it or not. Its kinda how the industry works best I can tell