Echoing my post from Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Wednesday Japan would continue using nuclear energy while reviewing the industry and pursuing more renewable sources of energy.
Kan told a news conference, “I believe that the manner in which the country’s nuclear power has been administrated over the years must be fundamentally reviewed.” He also said the government will promote energy-saving measures and renewable energy, such as solar and wind power. The government will consider the role utilities play in controlling regional power grids–a situation which has slowed down the spread of renewable energy.
Kan suggested that Japan should separate the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which was actively promoting atomic energy until the crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant.
Separating NISA from METI is one step in fighting the conflicts-of-interest that plagued Japan’s nuclear industry and paved the way to the crisis at Fukushima.
I think Tokyo should also take measures to ensure utilities don’t keep double books on safety records, falsifying official records to show everything as hunky-dory such as Tokyo Electric Power Co. did in 2002.
Kan also expressed his gratitude to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak for their planned visits this weekend to the tsunami-ravaged Tohoku region when they come to Japan to hold a summit meeting of the three countries. The prime minister said Japan’s ties with China and South Korea have deepened since the March 11 disaster.
I think Kan’s remarks Wednesday are a step in the right direction for Tokyo’s energy policy and relations with China and South Korea.
