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Japanese government considers promoting renewables construction
- 12 years ago (2012-02-05)
- Junior Isles
The Japanese government is considering relaxing regulations on building renewable energy facilities, such as solar plants, in order to promote their construction, according to government sources.
World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2025
A Government Revitalization Unit sub-panel, chaired by Sumitomo Corp. Chairman Motoyuki Oka and tasked with discussing deregulation and system reforms, intends to exempt solar power generation plants from acreage restrictions in the Factory Location Law. The sub-panel has drawn up a plan to relax regulations in 183 energy-related fields.
The reform plan aims to make it easier to build and promote large-scale solar power generation facilities, known as ‘mega-solar plants’.
The deregulation plan covers solar, geothermal and wind power, as well as other renewable energy sources.
Concerning geothermal and wind power generation, the government plans to relax regulations in the Natural Parks Law that restrict the building of renewable energy plants in national parks and quasi-national parks.
Such parks, with their rich natural environment, are seen as suitable sites for geothermal and wind power generation.
The government plans to allow for the construction of power plants in such parks if certain conditions are met.
The government intends to approve the plan at a Cabinet meeting by the end of March and take necessary legislative measures, the sources said.
The sub-panel has discussed deregulatory measures for encouraging the use of renewable energy, and diversifying Japan’s energy mix, since last year’s concerns of a prolonged power shortage in the wake of the crisis at Fukushima nuclear power plant.
The government hopes the measures will help boost the country's economy by encouraging the private sector to enter the renewable energy business.