TOKYO– The Japanese government said yesterday, it plans to ask households and companies to save electricity this winter, as a national power crunch continues.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said, at a meeting on energy policy that, it would request the public and businesses to conserve energy from Dec to Mar next year, following a similar request in summer.
The ministry officials said, while pushing ahead with the introduction of renewable energy sources, Japan intends to continue providing a stable power supply, and to accelerate the restart of nuclear reactors that have passed strict safety standards as an additional solution.
The request comes, as the supply of liquefied natural gas, used to fuel thermal power plants, remains strained due to market turbulence, Kyodo News reported.
The request will be issued, even with the reserve power supply capacity rate to maintain at three percent, the lowest level deemed necessary, to provide a stable supply, the report said.
The Japanese government issued an energy-saving request from Jul to Sept, this year, the first such requests in seven years, in which people across the country were asked to turn off unnecessary lights and to set air conditioners at 28 degrees Celsius, to save as much electricity as possible to alleviate a possible power crunch.
Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK
