Antinuclear

Japanese companies managing to save electricity over a nuclear free summer

Many big companies in the region have said they can manage with power saving steps, and some experts said voluntary steps would probably suffice to shrink the supply-demand gap given growing awareness of energy saving measures.

Japan seeks 15 pct summer power savings in west,  May 18, 2012 
* Japan avoids mandatory power use limits for summer
* Critics doubt utilities’ shortage forecasts
By Yoko Kubota TOKYO, May 18 (Reuters) – Japan urged at least 15 percent power cuts in its urban-industrial west this summer from 2010 levels to cope with shortages after all nuclear reactors shut down, but stopped short of the mandatory cuts seen in the east last year. The government said on Friday that it aimed to avoid rolling blackouts in the region – home to many manufacturers including struggling electronics giants Panasonic Corp and Sharp Corp – although it needed to prepare just in case. Last summer, the government imposed mandatory usage cuts of 15 percent on customers of Fukushima plant operator Tokyo Electric Power and Tohoku Electric in the east of the country. Neither will face numerical targets this summer as they are expected to meet demand by firing up thermal plants.

The reduction targets are compared to usage levels in 2010, when Japan
suffered record high summer temperatures.

VOLUNTARY CUTS

This summer, customers of Kansai Electric Power, based in Osaka,
western Japan, will be asked to cut usage by at least 15 percent.

The utility has projected a 14.9 percent shortfall in August if
temperatures hit record highs seen in 2010. That would be the worst
among the nine utilities that have nuclear plants.

Critics, however, have questioned Kansai Electric’s forecasts,
suspecting it is exaggerating potential shortages to strengthen the
argument for restarting offline reactors……. Many big companies in the region have said they can manage with power saving steps, and some experts said voluntary steps would probably suffice to shrink the supply-demand gap given growing awareness of energy saving measures.

Panasonic, headquartered in Osaka, plans to set air conditioners at 28
degrees Celsius, while Sharp plans steps such as reducing lighting and
letting employees dress casually. Ironically, weak demand for their
LCDs and televisions has lowered output rates, which may help them
achieve savings.

Osaka-based Sumitomo Electric Industries has invested 1.5 billion yen
($18.8 million) to build a cogeneration system that captures secondary
heat energy from a thermal power plant. The wire-harness maker, which
sells its products to the auto and telecommunications industries,
expects to cut peak power consumption by 20 percent this summer
compared with 2010.

The government sought voluntary cuts of 5 percent or more by three
other utilities based in central and western Japan – Chubu Electric,
Hokuriku Electric and Chugoku Electric – and 7 percent or more by
Shikoku Electric , so they would have spare power to transfer to
strapped Kansai Electric and Kyushu Electric Power in the south.

Kyushu Electric Power’s customers were asked to cut power use by 10
percent or more, while Hokkaido Electric’s service area in the north
has been urged to make cuts of at least 7 percent.
The government is keen to restart two idled reactors at Kansai
Electric’s Ohi nuclear plant.

But it faces an uphill battle in the face of public safety fears,
especially in communities that are close enough to share the risk but
too far away to reap the benefits of jobs and subsidies that host
communities have obtained.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/18/japan-nuclear-cuts-idUSL4E8GI0MD20120518

May 19, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized