[Japan] Toyota Tsusho and Chubu Electric Power Launch Vehicles-to-Grid Demonstration Tests in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture

Chubu Electric Power and Toyota Tsusho jointly announced on November 7, 2018 that they will launch Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) demonstration tests in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, from November 14 to 16 and December 12 to 14, respectively. The tests will validate the effectiveness of value-added services such as battery charging and discharging, examine how the V2G system will balance the supply and demand of electricity, and study the impacts of V2G on power grids.

Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy have been increasingly deployed worldwide, but challenges remain in managing the fluctuation of renewable energy output and surplus power generation. In order to utilize the excess energy, Toyota and the U.S.-based Nuvve Corporation have collaborated to design the V2G system. The design aims to control the power supply and demand, storing surplus power in Electric Vehicles (EVs)/Plug-in-Hybrids (PHVs) and later discharging it back to the power grid. Chubu Electric Power and Toyota plan to submit a report with the project’s results to a Japanese regulator, the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, by February 2019.

[Japan] Chubu Electric Power Invested in SPARX Group’s Mirai Renewable Energy Fund to Promote Renewable Energy Resources

Following up from a joint statement from SPARX Group and Toyota Motor on September 19, 2018, SPARX Group announced on November 9 that its subsidiary SPARX Asset Management has started operating the Mirai Renewable Energy Fund. The newly-established fund aims to make investments that will accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources in Japan. The fund has a current capital total of 23.6 billion yen, and is expected to increase to 30 billion yen. Investors in the fund include Toyota, Chubu Electric Power, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and Mizuho Bank.

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has emphasized the need to meet a carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduction target of 40 percent below 2010 levels, as well as reaching ‘net zero’ by 2050 in order to tackle global rising temperatures.[1] The Japanese Government, with its commitment to IPCC, has set its goals under the Fifth Energy Basic Plan, aiming to promote renewable energy sources nation-wide. Chubu Electric Power decided to invest in the Mirai Renewable energy Fund to develop renewable energy and reduce its produced CO2 emissions through the entire value chain, from power generation to electricity sales. Chubu Electric Power has been promoting Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) activities under the Chubu Electric Power Group.[2]

[1] https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/session48/pr_181008_P48_spm_en.pdf

[2] http://www.chuden.co.jp/corporate/publicity/pub_release/press/3269336_21432.html

[Japan] Kansai Electric Power Started a R&D Project on a System that Determines the Price of Surplus Electricity and Allows Direct Electricity Transactions, Using Blockchain Technologies

On October 15, 2018, Kansai Electric Power announced a joint research and demonstration project with the University of Tokyo, Nihon Unisys, and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank to develop a new system for surplus electricity trading that will be able to determine the price of surplus electricity generated by photovoltaic power. The system allows “prosumers”[1] and consumers to trade surplus electricity directly without the involvement of utility companies, using blockchain technologies.

With the widespread implementation of renewable energy, the current power supply system has been shifting from conventional large-scale generation assets to self-sustained distributed generation assets. In the future, it is possible that consumers and power producers will be able to trade electricity directly through a platform. The joint research project was developed based on the expectation that blockchain technologies will be adopted in direct electricity transactions in the future.

The system will be installed at the Kansai Electric Power’s Tatsumi Research Center for demonstration purposes. The surplus electricity generated at the prosumers’ households will be traded with consumers based on the electricity price, which was calculated based on two parties’ desired prices using various methods. The electricity is then traded using blockchain technologies and distributed to consumers. In this project, Nihon Unisys will develop the system, Kansai Electric Power will test the system, and the University of Tokyo will evaluate the research. Mitsubishi UFJ Bank will give advice on applying blockchain technologies to transactions.[2]

[1] “Prosumers” is the term that combines the term electricity producers and consumers, and it refers to consumers who consumes the electricity generated by himself/herself and sells surpluses power to others.

[Japan] The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Initiated a Working Group on Electricity Resilience

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced that it will initiate a Working Group on Electricity Resilience on October 9, 2018. The working group was jointly established by the Electricity and Gas Basic Policy Subcommittee under the Electricity and Gas Industry Committee of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources, and the Electric Power Safety Subcommittee under the Industrial Safety and Consumer Product Safety Committee of the Industrial Structure Council.

The 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake caused a large-scale power outage in the Hokkaido region. The local residents, the utility company, and the government worked together to reduce their energy usage in response to the situation. On September 18, the operation of Tomato-Atsuma Coal-Fired Power Plant Unit 1 resumed, which stabilized the electricity supply and demand. 

METI established a third-party committee under the Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators, Japan (OCCTO)[1] to identify the cause of the large-scale power outage and develop preventative measures for the future. An interim report is expected to be published by the end of October 2018. Meanwhile, the Ministerial Council on Emergency Inspection of Critical Infrastructure has decided to inspect the critical infrastructures across Japan, including electricity facilities, in November 2018 and will then develop measures to improve critical infrastructure resiliency. In order to accomplish these goals, METI has established a Working Group on Electricity Resilience to discuss challenges and possible measures to enhance the resiliency of Japan’s electricity infrastructure, and to establish a disaster-resilient electricity supply system.

[1] OCCTO is an organization that aims to promote the development of electricity transmission and distribution networks in Japan, which are necessary for cross-regional electricity use and the enhancement of the nationwide function of adjusting the supply-demand balance of electricity.

[Japan] The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Launched a Study Group on the Ideal Approaches to New Electricity Platforms that Take Advantage of Next-Generation Technologies

On October 9, 2018, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced that it would establish a Study Group on the Ideal Approaches to New Electricity Platforms that Take Advantage of Next-Generation Technologies. The working group will discuss the potential for next generation technologies to improve Japan’s electricity grid.

Japan’s electricity grid is facing challenges such as reduced earnings due to sluggish demand, the need to implement measures to modernize aging facilities, the need to improve the resiliency of electricity systems to prepare for large-scale disasters, and efforts to utilize renewable energy as a major power source. In order to deal with these challenges, METI aims to enhance the existing electricity grid in the “3E” areas (energy security, economic efficiency, and environment), while utilizing the existing system to its full potential.

In order to address 3E, the new electricity grid is expected to have 1) multiple inexpensive electricity supply sources, operated by new business models such as ERAB[1] and peer-to-peer (P2P) to advance economic efficiency; 2) IoT systems and data processing to improve energy security through the supply and demand management; and 3) new distributed resources such as EV and storage batteries that can achieve low carbonization and are more environmentally friendly than existing grid.

These investments require significant time and resources. Therefore, METI’s study group will discuss the risks and challenges with experts to identify necessary actions for the successful transition of the electricity grid.

[1] ERAB refers to a business framework in which businesses utilize virtual power plants and the demand response program in order to provide a variety of services, including electricity adjustments, maintaining supply-demand balances, electricity-rate cuts, avoidance of output controls and other measures to their electricity customers.

[Japan] Kansai Electric Power Initiated a Demonstration Test of a Low Power Wide Area Wireless Child Safety Service in Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture

On October 1, 2018, Kansai Electric Power announced a partnership with K-Opticom, Omachi City of Nagano Prefecture, and the Omachi City Board of Education to launch a demonstration test of a child safety service, which will use a Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) wireless network to monitor the location of children in Omachi city, Nagano prefecture. To reduce the costs of the service, the system is built on LPWA wireless technology with long-range (LoRa) communication technology, which enables long-range communication using low electricity consumption. The system will be installed at base stations serving other services to further reduce the costs.

The service will notify guardians when children enter or exit from the designated geographic area, in order to ensure the safety of children during their school commute. In order to protect the children’s privacy, the service will identify their location based on fixed areas, rather than his or her exact location. The test will evaluate the user experiences, particularly guardians’ experiences using the service by smartphone, and will identify technical issues.[1]

Kansai Electric Power hopes to strengthen its relationship with local communities through this new initiative.

[1] http://www.kepco.co.jp/corporate/pr/2018/1001_1j.html

[Japan] Shikoku Electric Power and SBI Insurance Will Start to Offer a Free Cancer Insurance Plan for New Customers, Joining the Residential Electricity Plan

On September 28, 2018, Shikoku Electric Power announced a partnership with SBI Insurance to offer the Shikoku Electric Power Cancer Insurance Plan. The plan will launch on October 22, 2018, and it will be offered through Denki Ins-Web[1], a website operated by SBI Insurance that assists customers with comparing the pricing of different electricity plans. The plan will be free for Shikoku Electric Power’s newly registered residential electricity customers in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Customers that join the insurance plan who are diagnosed with cancer will receive 50,000 JPY (approximately 450 USD). The insurance service is provided by SBI Insurance, and Shikoku Electric Power will cover the insurance premium.

Shikoku Electric Power’s service area covers Japan’s Shikoku region, which consists of four prefectures in the southern part of Japan, namely Ehime, Kagawa, Kōchi, and Tokushima. Since Japan has fully liberalized its electricity retail market, Shikoku Electric Power has been seeking to expand its business in the Tokyo metropolitan area by offering competitive services in new markets. SBI Insurance is focusing on providing products and services that meet diverse market needs in order to strengthen their sales channels other than direct sales. Shikoku Electric Power and SBI Insurance are working together to provide new services that combine their strengths in electricity retail service and insurance products to improve their service offerings.[2]

[1] https://denki.insweb.co.jp/

[2] http://www.yonden.co.jp/press/re1809/data/pr016.pdf

[Japan] TEPCO Innovation & Investments US Invested in Hawaii Renewable Energy Company Adon Group

On September 20, 2018, TEPCO Innovation & Investments US, Tokyo Electric Power Company’s wholly owned subsidiary in the U.S., announced that it has invested two million USD in Adon Group, a Hawaiian renewable energy company. Adon Group, which consists of Adon Construction, Adon Renewables, and Green Vision, specializes in the development, construction, operation, maintenance, and asset management of solar facilities, mainly for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers in Hawaii. Through its investment in Adon Group, TEPCO Innovation & Investments US aims to join the Hawaii C&I solar energy market and develop new business models, including microgrid and resource aggregation businesses.

Hawaii has set a goal to generate 100% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2045. The implementation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has been increasing in Hawaii due to their affordable price and support from federal and state government subsidies. However, as the solar generation capacity increases, it is facing issues such as supply-demand balancing and system-voltage control. Hawaii has been focusing on PV systems equipped with battery storage to address these challenges. Adon Group plans to expand its businesses by offering PV systems equipped with battery storage.

[Japan] CD Direct Energy Collaborated with Aruhi Marketing to Expand Services under “Aruhi New Living Pack”

On September 14, 2018, CD Energy Direct, a joint investment company of Chubu Electric Power and Osaka Gas, announced a collaboration with Aruhi Marketing, a subsidiary of Aruhi, Japan’s largest financial institution specializing in mortgage loans, as part of the “Aruhi New Living Pack”, a preferential service for homebuyers using an Aruhi mortgage when buying a new home.

To help customers reduce the time and cumbersome administrative process for all essential services on starting a new life in a new area, Aruhi Marketing will take care of all moving-related application procedures, covering services such as electricity and gas supply, water, internet connection, and moving services, on behalf of customers. The package also offers various discounts and benefits. In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the electricity and gas offered as part of the service will be provided by CD Energy Direct. Meanwhile, Chubu Electric Power will continue to expand its services in other regions.

[Japan] J-Power and Okayama University of Science Filed a Patent Application for Autonomous Camera-Equipped Drone for Monitoring Energy Infrastructure Facilities

On September 10, 2018, J-Power announced that it had jointly filed a patent application with the Okayama University of Science for an autonomous camera technology to monitor and inspect energy infrastructure facilities, using drones. A camera-equipped drone automatically plans a flight route and approaches transmission facilities, such as steel transmission towers and transmission lines, and takes photographs of the targeted objects. The technology combines flight control, avoidance control, and high-speed image processing, aiming to significantly improve the safety and the quality of inspection work, as well as reducing the risk of field workers at high elevations. In addition, the drone’s operational status, such as its location, altitude, and flight state, can be monitored through the wireless network. In cases when the drone detects a failure or problems at the facilities, it also records images along with the location. The technology is expected to be fully commercialized in FY 2019.

[Japan] Hokkaido Electric Power Company Restarted the Tomato-Atsuma Power Plant Unit 1 after Iburi Earthquake

Due to the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake that occurred on September 6, 2018, the Hokkaido Electric Power Company suffered damage at several of its power plants as well as its transmission and distribution infrastructure, causing a massive blackout in the region. On September 19, 2018, a regional power operator announced that it had restarted the Tomato-Atsuma thermal power plant Unit 1 after a trial operation was successfully performed to gradually increase the output. Prior to the restart of the power plant, the Hokkaido Electric Power Company had set power saving time from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm on weekdays by encouraging energy users to reduce their energy consumption as much as possible, targeting a 10% reduction in electricity demand. After restoring the Tomato-Atsuma power plant Unit 1, the company canceled the power saving time period and resumed its plans for energy saving for the winter season at normal levels. The company is working to bring two more Tomato-Atsuma power plant units back online soon.[1] 

Meanwhile, the earthquake caused significant damage to the transmission and distribution facilities that the utility owns and operates. As of September 16, 2018, the Hokkaido Electric Power Company has temporarily restored the No. 71 transmission tower on the Iwachishi line (66kv), and it has been working on repairs on the No. 107 transmission tower, which was destroyed by a landslide. The Hokkaido Electric Power Company expects to restore the No. 107 tower as well as the No. 52 transmission tower on the Karikachi line (275kW) by the middle of November. It also has considered changing to an alternative route for the transmission line, in order to avoid potential long-term landslide risks. There was also significant damage to distribution networks, with a total of 327 supporting facilities, 295 electric wires, and 428 transformers damaged. As of September 16, 2018, the blackout continued to affect 59 homes in Atsuma Town and Abira Town.[2]

[1] http://www.hepco.co.jp/pdf/18091901.pdf

[2] http://www.hepco.co.jp/pdf/18091601.pdf

[Japan] Chubu Electric Power’s “KatEne” Started a New Service for Customers with Smart Meters to Calculate the Electricity Usage of Individual Household Appliances

On September 2, 2018, Chubu Electric Power’s online service “KatEne” started a new function that calculates and visualizes the electricity usage of each household appliance in a home. Customers can check the electricity usage share of home appliances like air conditioners and electric water heaters without needing to install any additional measuring instruments.

The service is offered for free to customers who installed smart meters in their house. This service collects information such as electricity usage data obtained from smart meters, the current installation situation of household appliances, the outdoor temperature, and the local sunrise and sunset times. Using its own in-house methodologies, Chubu calculates the electricity usage rate of each household appliance and the approximate electricity charge, enabling customers to understand their energy consumption and energy savings.

The “KatEne” service, launched in 2015, is a household customer online service aiming at promoting energy consumption through visible energy-saving information. By the end of March 2019, Chubu also plans to implement add-on functions for customers that have installed solar panels, which will calculate those customers’ precise energy consumption and billing information, and will reflect the energy generation amount from their installed solar systems.

[Japan] NEDO Initiated a Database System Project to Improve the Operation of Wind Power Generation Facilities

The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) announced on August 23, 2018, that it has initiated a project to develop a database system to improve the operation of wind power generation facilities and reduce their operations and maintenance (O&M) costs.

Wind power generation’s installation and O&M costs in Japan are higher than in other countries. Furthermore, wind turbines in Japan are required to operate under severe weather conditions like typhoons and lightning strikes. In order to increase the installation of wind generation units and enhance their long-term operational stability in harsh environments, it is imperative to increase the reliability of wind turbines as well as reduce additional O&M costs, such as through technological developments to advance generation efficiency and optimize maintenance. The project aims to realize a wind turbine operation rate of 97% or more, and also seeks to reduce the downtime of the wind turbines and their O&M costs.

In this project, NEDO will develop a database system that collects and stores windmill operation data, including operational failure and accident information. The system will also provide failure prediction by utilizing artificial intelligence (AI), analysis of past cases and information on early recovery from malfunctions and accidents.

[Japan] Kansai Electric Power Reported Current Status of Power Outages due to Damages from Typhoon Jebi and Quick Restoration Measures

Kansai Electric Power announced the current status of widespread power outages due to damage from the powerful Typhoon Jebi, which hit western Japan. As of September 6, 2018, nearly 2,184,000 customers had experienced power failures in the Kansai region of Japan, and 311,000 homes still remained without power. The most devastating blackout area was Osaka Prefecture, with a total of 1.026 million households affected, followed by Hyogo (App. 418,000) and Wakayama (App. 327,000)[1] prefectures.

As a result of the significant damage that the typhoon inflicted on Kansai Electric Power’s transmission and distribution infrastructure, the company will face a prolonged restoration effort. In order to support the efforts to restore power, the company announced on September 5, 2018, that it had requested 40 high-voltage generator cars and approximately 240 utility workers from neighboring power electric companies such as Chugoku Electric Power, Shikoku Electric Power, and Kyushu Electric Power, based on their cooperative assistance agreements regarding emergency disasters. High-voltage generator cars will be connected to distribution equipment to temporarily transmit electricity. However, the installation locations have not yet been determined.[2]

[1] http://www.kepco.co.jp/souhaiden/pr/2018/pdf/0904_32j_00.pdf

[2] http://www.kepco.co.jp/souhaiden/pr/2018/0905_1j.html

[Japan] Osaka Gas and Growing Energy Labs Agreed to Conduct a Joint VPP and Storage Batteries Demonstration Project

On August 7, 2018, Osaka Gas entered into an agreement with a San Francisco-based software start-up company, Growing Energy Labs (Geli), to launch a joint demonstration project to optimize the operation of storage batteries using a virtual power plant (VPP) software platform. The project will be implemented at “NEXT21”, an Osaka Gas experimental housing unit, and at Imazu Ground, another testing site, addressing the needs of residential customers and commercial users respectively. In order to evaluate new Internet of Energy* services using accumulator batteries, the project will adopt Geli’s VPP software platform and energy storage control technology, which is already in use in the U.S. and Australia.

Given the extensive deployment of renewable energy resources in Japan, particularly solar power, it is expected that the need for VPP platforms will increase in the future to address grid instability. In order to acquire key knowledge about VPP and storage battery control technologies, Osaka Gas invested in Geli in March this year, and has been preparing for this demonstration project. As part of the project, the co-optimization between PV self-consumption and the frequency response control will be tested at the NEXT21 site. The Imazu Ground site will be used to evaluate the co-optimization between the demand charge management and the frequency response control, based on the expected customer needs for commercial and industrial use.

* “Internet of Energy” refers to the implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies into distributed energy systems to optimize the efficiency of energy infrastructure and demand-side management.

[Japan] Osaka Gas Offered a New Electricity Rate Menu “Style Plan” to Meet Customer’s Lifestyle and Individual Needs

Osaka Gas announced on August 1, 2018, that it has started offering a new electricity rate menu “style plan” that corresponds to its customers’ lifestyle and individual needs. As its first step, Osaka Gas began its “Style Plan P” service for Amazon Prime members. Osaka Gas plans to continue to diversify its rate plans by providing different types of electricity rate menus in addition to its existing base rate plan.

Osaka Gas customers that subscribe to the "Style Plan P" service can save money regardless of their electricity usage compared with the total cost of paying for both Amazon Prime’s annual fee and Kansai Electric Power Company's metered electricity “Plan A.” Based on Osaka Gas’s model, the average residential customer will save about 5,400 yen per year.

Furthermore, in April 2018 Osaka Gas began to offer some additional features to its customers in collaboration with Amazon Alexa. Customers can use Alexa’s voice services to check their gas and electricity usage amounts and fees, and can control their gas equipment through the Amazon Echo smart speaker.

[Japan] NEDO Completed Japan’s First Barge-Type Floating Offshore Wind Power Generation System

On August 10, 2018, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), along with other industrial partners, completed the development of a demonstration system for a next-generation floating offshore wind power generation system. The system is equipped with Japan’s first barge-type floating body and is paired with a compact 2-blade upwind-type wind turbine, which can be placed in shallow water areas up to a depth of approximately 50m. To ensure its safety even in severe weather and oceanic conditions, the system is equipped with 9 mooring systems, consisting of a combination of stud-less chains and high holding power anchors.

The NEDO-led consortium consists of Marubeni Corporation, Hitachi Zosen, Glocal, EcoPower, University of Tokyo, and Kyuden Mirai Energy. During the development process, Marubeni was responsible for cost analysis and coordinating with related organizations. Hitachi Zosen was engaged in designing the floating bodies, manufacturing, and installation work. Glocal played a central role in turbine selection and mooring systems development, while EcoPower was responsible for the environmental impact assessment. The University of Tokyo oversaw the performance evaluation of the system as well as outreach activities, and Kyuden Mirai Energy was in charge of grid interconnection and power quality evaluation.

NEDO will test the system in the sea area off the coast of Kitakyushu city by connecting electric power cables. After the test, the system will start its demonstration period from this fall to the end of FY2021. The electricity generated by the system will be transmitted to Kyushu Electric Power’s grid system.

[Japan] TEPCO and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Jointly Launched a Remote Monitoring Service to Improve the Operational Efficiency of Thermal Power Plants

On July 13, 2018, Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO) subsidiary, Tokyo Fuel & Power and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) jointly announced that they had begun to offer a remote monitoring service to improve the operational efficiency of thermal power plants. The service includes the early detection of abnormal conditions, remote monitoring, cause analysis, and countermeasures, by using an IoT platform integrated with data. Their initial customer for the service is the Pagbilao Power Plant in the Philippines, a coal-fired power plant operated by TeaM Energy Corporation. The service will enable the Pagbilao power station to improve its operational efficiency and reduce its future operation and maintenance (O&M) costs. The remote monitoring service is one of the O&M solutions and services that both companies would like to pursue in the region.

TEPCO and the MHPS are aiming to establish a joint business that will aggressively provide O&M solutions and services for coal-fired power plants in the Southeast Asia region, where each firm can utilize its own operational infrastructure and existing resources. In September 2016, both companies signed a business alliance agreement to improve the operational efficiency of domestic and overseas thermal power plants. Since then, they have been working together to jointly develop O&M solutions and services for thermal power generation. In April 2017, the two companies began to demonstrate a service for thermal power plants that applied a jointly developed abnormality prediction model. The model integrates TEPCO’s knowledge of O&M solutions with MHPS’ capabilities in design, construction and after-sales services.

[Japan] Tohoku Electric Power Launched Customer-Assisted Smarter Project for Monitoring Newly Developed Services

Tohoku Electric Power announced on July 11, 2018 that it has launched a Customer-Assisted Smarter Project, which aims to monitor and verify the effectiveness of new services to ensure comfortable and convenient lifestyles for customers. By using information technologies such as IoT, AI, and communication robots, the project will verify the feasibility and user-friendliness of two newly-developed services: the lifestyle assistance communication robot BOCCO, and a service for providing advice on how to save energy when using home appliances. The project is scheduled to be carried out from July 11, 2018, to the end of August 2019 and the utility is looking for 170 participants to be monitored as part of the project.

The BOCCO robot will demonstrate its multiple remote-control functions, such as helping family members to monitor the current conditions in a house and notify them via smartphones, turning the air conditioner on/off from outside through the devices, and automatically controlling the air conditioning system in a house by predicting the optimal air conditioning operating time, based on weather information and the current temperature and humidity in the room. Separately, the project will also monitor the effectiveness of a service providing consumers with emails or SNS messages with energy-saving advice for home appliances. The service advises customers on how to use home appliances to save energy and reduce costs, based on an electricity usage prediction system that has been jointly developed by Tohoku Electric Power and Mitsubishi Electric, using data collected from smart meters.

[Japan] Japan Atomic Energy Commission Published the White Paper on Nuclear Energy 2017

On July 5, 2018, the Japan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) under the Cabinet Office, government of Japan, published the White Paper on Nuclear Energy 2017. The paper summarizes the current state of the Japanese nuclear energy industry’s development and its nuclear safety activities, and recent changes in attitudes surrounding nuclear energy. It also highlights the importance of stakeholders’ participation in activities, based on lessons learned from the Fukushima accident. The white paper stresses the need to strengthen interactive dialogues between government officials/industry members and the public, encourage public engagement and provide the public with accurate information and objective facts, to reduce public distrust and anxiety about nuclear energy, which remains after 7 years since the accident. The paper also underlines the importance of maintaining the long-term stable use of nuclear power, as it is necessary for greenhouse gas reduction.

The White Paper on Nuclear Energy has been released annually since 1956 through 2010, the year before the Fukushima accident. The subsequent issues after the 2009 edition were suspended, as the Japanese government was responding to the Fukushima accident and was considering the reform of the JAEC at the time. The White Paper was resumed for the first time last year.