Nuclear authority OKs plans to decommission 5 aging reactors

This is not unexpected. Looks like most of these were in Kansai. Putting all of these plants behind us, here is what we can expect. 1. Higher electric bills because decommissioning is more expensive than operating the plants. 2. Greater use of fossil fuels because they are the only way that utilities can provide energy reliably to these huge urban areas. That means much higher greenhouse gas emissions. 3. Fluctuating prices for electrical power because fossil fuels are vulnerable to international pricing and yen exchange rates.

This is what people wanted. There are going to be a lot of people cashing in on this. And the people paying for electricity will pay.

"This is not a technology problem it is a market and regulatory problem"

OK. You first. And I am pretty serious about that. If you have not taken advantage of the GREAT subsidies over the last five years to install solar just for your own home, then you failed your family and your community. Markets and regulation were ideal and you blew it. They were counting on you. We all were.

Oh wait. No. You are talking about SOMEONE ELSE'S money? Oh. Well that is different. How about the moneybag utilities? Sorry. Japan's policies all but bankrupted them by making them strand huge assets (nuclear) and forcing them to turn to foreign fossil fuels for stable electricity for five years. How about the government? Too late. They have already been looted for highway funds and pensions. So where is the money going to come from? What is there to regulate? Who will you tax?

It could have been different, but we have been brought to this point by anti-nuclear hysteria. Japan was a world leader in greenhouse gas policy because it used nuclear power. Now it is among the world's leading coal consumers because that is how anti-nuclear activists wanted it.

Solar is plenty cheap, but the FIT has been dropping along with prices for solar panels. What is happening now is that the risk to solar installers is not falling. The business has been unable to maintain itself. A huge solar provider failed in Kyushu this week, but JT is not reporting that. And battery storage is not cheap enough to be useful. I know this because I have priced all systems on the market. They are not even close to economically feasible.

Let's not hold this illusion that technology is going to save us. If people can be herded and cowed and manipulated as easily as they were against nuclear power in Japan, then there is no technology or policy or regulation on earth that will save us from a riled up, stupid populace.

5SpeedRacer5 Today 09:46 am JST

This is not unexpected. Looks like most of these were in Kansai. Putting all of these plants behind us, here is what we can expect. 1. Higher electric bills because decommissioning is more expensive than operating the plants.

So, you say KEPCO did not put aside the provisions for decommission? That would be an accounting fraud. All the past officers and directors at KEPCO are liable for authorizing fraudulent accounting statements. Let us make them pay.