No. But it should definitely reconsider how it uses it.
The big news this past week was that Chubu Electric Power Co. shut down the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka following a request by Prime Minister Naoto Kan. The Hamaoka plant was considered dangerous because of its age and the likelihood of a major earthquake occurring in the region within the next 30 years. (The one night I spent in Shizuoka two years ago I got caught in a typhoon-earthquake-tsunami trifecta.)
I have mentioned several times the importance of nuclear power to Japan’s energy independence. Some activists would like to do away completely with all the world’s nuclear power. This is not an option for Japan. I think if a country can use nuclear power safely, they should be allowed to use it. The problem is Tokyo allowed too many conflicts of interest in regulating the nuclear industry and ignored the risks of building plants along known fault lines.
Kan may be playing to popular opinion in calling for the closure of nuclear plants. But I think he is a pragmatic leader who understands Japan’s reliance on nuclear energy, and is approaching the situation cautiously. He seems to be aware that while Japan can’t get rid of nuclear energy, Tokyo needs to overhaul the industry and make more strides in renewable energy.
