Japan - Party that built Japan's nuclear industry launches "major energy policy rethink"

[kristopher]

Kan doesn't want to leave until he gets his energy bill. I think this lays the groundwork for letting the bill pass, then using the results of this to change the policy into what best suits their interests. Given the "pork barrel" role of nuclear in the LDP's genetic code, I share the incredulity of the writer.

However, given the tangible advantages of "natural energy" sources and a distributed grid, if the public and broader business consensus develops as it has been doing, they might be forced to admit the obvious. A strong push to move to renewable sources is a winning move from all angles.


LDP planning major energy policy rethink

By KAZUAKI NAGATA
Staff writer

The Liberal Democratic Party, which promoted nuclear power during its postwar reign of nearly five decades, launched a special committee Tuesday to draft a new comprehensive energy policy that its members say could lead to a drastic shift in thinking.

"A key point of (discussions) by this committee will be that all energy policies will face a zero-based review," said panel head Ichita Yamamoto, LDP deputy policy research council chairman, at the group's first meeting.

On short-term issues, the panel will discuss how the party deals with a bill to promote renewable energy, which Prime Minister Naoto Kan is eager to pass, and restart nuclear reactors that have been shut down in various parts of the nation either before or amid the current crisis.

In the process of drafting the party's new long-term energy policy, the committee plans to discuss whether it would really be possible to drop atomic power. It will also review past LDP nuclear policy.

The party long...

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110706a3.html

[Countdown_3_2_1]

1. Japan is tailor made for Geo-Thermal...nt

[kristopher]

2. They have a lot of geothermal, but most of the best is off-limits in national parks...

A set of rules put in place by the same government that promoted nuclear.

My understanding is that they are in good shape with renewables all around, but I haven't yet seen a comprehensive assessment. Given there long-standing expectation that nuclear was the future, I doubt the fundamental research for assessing the full range of their renewable potential has even started.