http://www.japantimes.co.jp/print/nn20130103f2.html
A cautious return to nuclear power
Though public is wary, new LDP-led government backs resumption of
reactors, plant construction
By MIYA TANAKA
Kyodo
Japan appears to be heading toward a gradual revival of nuclear power
generation under a new government supportive of retaining it, but the
outlook for the industry in 2013 is unclear, with antinuclear
sentiment still lingering among the public amid the disaster at the
Fukushima No. 1 atomic plant.
The new government led by the Liberal Democratic Party has already
signaled that it has no intention of following in the footsteps of
the Democratic Party of Japan government, which was overthrown after
the Dec. 16 election, when it comes to energy policy. The DPJ
government aimed at phasing out nuclear power by the 2030s.
"We need to reconsider the previous government's policy of seeking
zero operations of nuclear plants," Economy, Trade and Industry
Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told a press conference shortly after
assuming the ministerial post.
He also said that completely giving up Japan's spent-fuel recycling
policy, which would lose its role if nuclear power generation ends,
is "currently not an option," and that the government backs the
resumption of reactors as long as they are deemed safe by the Nuclear
Regulation Authority, the new atomic watchdog.
The remarks are likely to encourage utilities, which have been
desperate to restart idled reactors to boost their business. The
minister's words also leave open the possibility of allowing
utilities to install new reactors that have been planned but are not
yet under construction.
But the nuclear industry is not necessarily optimistic about its
prospects due to the huge impact the Fukushima crisis has had on the
public.
"The LDP won (the Dec. 16 general election), so will nuclear power be
pursued? I don't think things are as simple as that," Takuya Hattori,
president of the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, told reporters,
adding that the industry would lose more public trust if it returns
to business as usual.
"The point is whether the nuclear industry can show how deeply it
regrets the Fukushima accident and how far it will change itself,"
said Hattori, a former executive vice president of Tokyo Electric
Power Co.
2012 was tumultuous for Japan's nuclear plant operators. From May,
the country experienced a period without nuclear power for the first
time in decades, as reactors that had been operating before the
nuclear crisis started went offline for mandatory routine maintenance
and were unable to be restarted without first undergoing "stress
tests."
Two reactors in western Japan were reactivated in July after clearing
provisional safety standards created by the government amid massive
antinuclear rallies, which drew some 200,000 people near the prime
minister's office in Tokyo at one point, according to the organizers.
In addition to such a harsh climate of public opinion about atomic
power, utilities may also face more headwinds now that the NRA is
gearing up to assess the safety of reactors in the quake-prone
country.
Recently, the NRA has suggested it will be tough with utilities,
warning that geological faults under two plants are likely to be
active, assessments that will significantly affect the prospects for
restarting the two plants' reactors.
Motegi said the government will "respect" the safety assessments made
by the independent NRA and added that reactors will not be allowed to
restart unless they clear the new safety standards, which the NRA
plans to craft by July to prevent a recurrence of the Fukushima
crisis.
Tadahiro Katsuta, an associate professor at Meiji University who is a
member of a panel tasked by the NRA with devising the standards, said
that "high bars" are expected to be set for utilities.
But he also said he feels the plant operators are determined to meet
the requirements at any cost and that there is no guarantee that the
NRA can maintain its current tough stance against the companies.
"You don't know in what form pressure could be (exerted) on the NRA
commissioners. Public opinion (skeptical about nuclear power) could
also be a factor that is affecting them now, so if people start to
become mum on the issue, the NRA's stance could change," Katsuta said.
Some political experts said the new government is expected to
carefully consider how to handle the nuclear issue, especially before
the House of Councilors election, expected in July, because
explicitly taking a pronuclear stance could trigger a public backlash.
"The LDP's landslide victory in the Lower House election may have
made some ruling party lawmakers think there is less risk of pushing
for the resumption of reactors. But they could still take a cautious
approach until they win the Upper House election, opting to do what
they really want to after that," said Koichi Nakano, a political
science professor at Sophia University.
The Japan Times: Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013
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