"Air Conditioners and TVs Used Together in One Room by Families"... Japanese Government Appeals for Power Saving Amid Electricity Shortage Concerns

Tokyo turned into a dark wasteland after a strong earthquake off the coast of Fukushima.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Sumi Hwang] As concerns over a power crisis grow in Japan this year, authorities have appealed for energy conservation.

On the 6th, Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that the power reserve margin this summer is precarious, and if the winter is particularly cold, there is a forecast of a shortage of electricity for 1.1 million households.

Koichi Hagiuda, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, also appealed for energy saving. At a press conference on the 27th of last month, he urged, "Please use the air conditioner in one room with your family," and added, "If you watch television together in one room, we can overcome the power shortage."

The background to the instability of Japan's power grid is attributed to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Due to Western sanctions, international energy prices such as natural gas and oil have soared, causing instability in energy procurement. Japanese media pointed out that following Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's announcement on the 9th of last month of a principle ban on Russian oil, if imports of Russian natural gas and coal are also banned, concerns over energy supply and demand may arise.

In addition, the global 'decarbonization' movement driven by climate change has reduced the operation of thermal power plants, rapidly destabilizing power supply. Nuclear power plants have faced delays in restarting due to heightened safety standards following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011. Even the share of operating nuclear plants is shrinking.

Japanese experts expressed concerns about blackouts due to power shortages and the burden on citizens from rising electricity costs. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) predicted a power supply reserve margin of 0.6% in its service area in January next year. This margin, which refers to the remaining power after usage from the supplied electricity, requires at least 3% for stable power supply, making the forecasted figure far below the necessary level.

The newspaper explained that to raise the reserve margin to 3% for seven power companies, including TEPCO, which are facing shortages, an additional 3.5 million kW is needed, equivalent to about 1.1 million households. This means a power crisis could occur if unexpected events such as disasters or severe cold weather happen.

In fact, on March 21 earlier this year, a power shortage warning was issued in the Tokyo metropolitan area and other regions. This was due to a powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake off the coast of Fukushima, which caused some power plants to halt operations and increased heating power demand. This system, created after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, was issued for the first time at that moment.

Prime Minister Kishida said, "I ask for energy saving within the range that does not interfere with daily life, such as lowering heating settings at home and work and turning off unused lights." Major government offices and large corporations also joined in. At that time, the large-scale energy-saving campaign plunged all of Tokyo into darkness.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.