Nuclear Promotion Dropped in Japan Energy Policy After Fukushima

[kristopher]

Nuclear Promotion Dropped in Japan Energy Policy After Fukushima
October 27, 2011, 11:42 PM EDT
By Tsuyoshi Inajima and Yuji Okada

Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Japan’s government abandoned its policy of promoting atomic power, saying it will reduce reliance on the sector in its first annual review of energy since the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The energy white paper, approved by the Cabinet today, calls for a reduction in the nation’s reliance on atomic power in what was the third-biggest user of the fuel before the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. It also omits a section on nuclear power expansion that was in last year’s policy review.

The earthquake and tsunami disabled power and cooling systems at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear station, leading to the worst atomic disaster since Chernobyl in 1986. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is planning to reduce the country’s dependency on nuclear energy while seeking to restart idled nuclear reactors once their safety is secured and local governments approve.

“Public confidence in safety of nuclear power was greatly damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the accident at Tepco’s Fukushima atomic station,” the paper said. The government “regrets its past energy policy and will review it with no sacred cows.”

Japan, which was the third-most reliant on nuclear power after the U.S. and France...

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-27/nuclear-promotion-dropped-in-japan-energy-policy-after-fukushima.html