On April 7, 2020, the Japanese Government announced a state of emergency in seven prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka. On April 10, 2020, Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture also declared a state of emergency on their own. Amid the outbreak of COVID-19, Japanese electric power companies are taking measures to secure a stable power supply while ensuring the safety and health of their employees and customers.

For instance, Chubu Electric Power (Chuden, Headquarters: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture) has implemented several measures in response to COVID-19. It implemented remote work and replaced business trips with video conferencing to enable social distancing. It also shifted commuting times to avoid the peak traffic times for those who still have to commute. As of April 10, 2020, of the approximately 16,100 Chuden staff, approximately 3,600 worked from home. Since April 8, 2020, Chuden established a backup team to respond to the operations for a central power supply command center, which operates 24/7, to maintain a stable supply and service level, even if an employee is infected. JERA (Headquarters: Tokyo), the Japanese largest thermal power company, prohibited entry to the main control room of plants, except for the person in charge. Kansai Electric Power (Headquarters: Osaka) has increased the number of commuter buses at its operating nuclear power plants to strengthen social distancing. [1] [2]

[1] https://www.chuden.co.jp/publicity/press/1201168_3273.html

[2] https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO58360870S0A420C2X93000/