Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–May 7, 2012.
Last Japanese Nuclear Facility Closes—For Now
Industry/Regulatory/Political
- Hokkaido Electric Power Co.’s Tomari 3, Japan’s last operating commercial nuclear reactor, shut down for regular inspections March 5, marking the first time in 42 years that Japan has not had a reactor generating electricity. Japan has 50 operable commercial units. The national government’s ruling party, the Democratic Party of Japan, continues to work with local communities that host nuclear facilities to allow reactors to return to operation.
- Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear energy facility, submitted a restructuring plan that will give the government a majority stake in the company in exchange for $12 billion. The company’s proposal said that it would cut costs by nearly $41 billion over the next decade and return to profitability in 2015.
Media Highlights
- The Associated Press and many other news sources noted the closing of Japan’s of Tomari 3 and the consequences of less electricity. The AP story reports that Japan’s Ministry of Environment projected the country will produce about 15 percent more greenhouse gas emissions this fiscal year than it did in 1990, the baseline year for measuring progress.
- Reuters, reporting on Japan’s nuclear status, said the country’s policymakers are “worried about the damage to the budding economic recovery as power shortages are expected to be more severe and widespread than last summer,” when many areas in Japan still had operating nuclear reactors. Reuters also reported that the rising cost of electricity, coupled with a strong yen, could affect industrial production and encourage companies to move operations overseas.
New Products
- NEI’s Safety First site has a new article on how operators of U.S. nuclear energy facilities are using the FLEX strategy to respond to Fukushima. Charles Pardee, Exelon Generation’s chief operating officer and chairman of the Fukushima Response Steering Committee, said: “The leadership of the U.S. commercial nuclear industry is dedicated to gaining a deep understanding of the events at Fukushima Daiichi and to taking the necessary actions to improve safety and emergency preparedness at America’s nuclear energy facilities.”
Upcoming Meetings
- The NRC holds a public meeting May 7 to discuss the post-Fukushima task force’s Tier 3 recommendations.
- Another NRC public meeting May 7 focuses on flooding evaluations.
- The OECD’s Nuclear Energy Agency and Spain’s Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear host an international workshop May 9 and 10 in Madrid on crisis communications, with a focus on lessons learned from Fukushima. NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko and other NRC executives are scheduled to appear.
Source: nei.org
