Nuclear-free Japan braces for summer power shortages

So, again we are faced with a Government and power industry who seem totally unable to think ahead, problem solve or be capable of anything much more than saying sorry.

Its been well over a year and a totally predicable path leading to this and one of the greatest industrial nations on the planets answer is?

Japan has the chance to become a world leader in clean energy and should have started day one after the promises that were made.

The truth could be that Japan does not have the electrical capacity without them. Hint take the power generation capacity now against the demand of last summer. Which one is the higher number? Hint, you can not save enough power disconnecting all of the toilets, vending machines, etc. This summer will bring about the return of the roving blackout. It is all nice for the healthy young posters but some people can not live without ac and electrical power. We may lose thousands of people this summer.

Hate to say "I told you so", but here goes: I told you so!

I wish all the antinuclear zealots would opt out of the power grid (and out of civilization if they want) and leave the rest of us alone.

Japan managed to get through the summer last year without any blackouts by imposing voluntary curbs on the use of power in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that left thousands dead.

This is wrong, there were plenty of blackouts last year all over northern Japan excluding Tokyo.

It well maybe the case the in the short term there will be little choice to have some running, but this is not because its necessary from the start it is because somehow the power companies and politicians have somehow through the various backdoor deals and OK's from a clearly biased "safety" authority have managed to build 54 nuclear reactors in this country many of which are old and use very outdated safety equipment and procedures... and they apparently only supply 30% of the power..

Look at the big picture, Japans economy is not doing well at all, turning back on some old nuclear power stations does nothing for the long term future of this country.

There is an opportunity for Japan from this disaster and a few important lessons.

Do you think when its the cheapest and easiest option to get a few running again despite the clear and obvious risks that Tepco, the government or anyone else is going to suggest that we can get through summer without them even if it were possible..

Ok, so the last reactor was shut down yesterday, so they are starting to predict power shortages today? Have they been sleeping for the past 12 months? Absolutely bloody ridiculous! They should have this nutted out six months ago!

I would have thought that purchasing power resources from abroad would weaken the yen? Regardless, the high yen is in their favour at the moment, because it allows them to purchase resources more cheaply than if the yen was low.

Survival without nuclear power is possible, turn off anything not being used, no flashing pachinko parlour signs, take out every second light bulb in large areas, disconnect electric toilets, no wasteful neon signs, half the number of vending machines, stop wasting electricity making inane brain dead television programs about nothing but screaming, canned laughter, and the word oishii. We will probably have reached the target just by these simple measures.

Then lets make the switch to other forms of electricity production and maintain it.

Exactly as predicted a year ago on JT after the tsunami. Over reaction to the "marching masses" by politicians will cause a hardship for every person using the trains and subways or working in the air-conditioned buildings. Watch for the marching masses to protest the shortage of electricity in just two months. Don't worry politicians, your office and limousine will continue to have air conditioning.

SO FUNNY.. how all the people on this site think you can take away 54 REACTORS but still somehow have enough power for this island country of around 128 million people.... 54 Reactors only equaled 30 of total power output?.... Were they tiny reactors because that is pretty sorry output if you ask anybody.... AND so tired of seeing all tree-huggers talk about green energy... run your car with wind power please... please show us... Solar?... yeah sure.. The anti-nuclear crowd wants it this way?... then sweat in the dark during the summer... pretty sad for the 3rd largest economy

Few points.

It isn't about hugging tree, there is an abundance of energy in the world, the labels of green or alternative don't really help the case. Sure it takes more management and users to be more careful about how they use energy but that surely isn't that much to ask.

Most people's cars still run, fully or mostly on petrol. Electric cars running on power from power traditional power stations are just as polluting as an efficient petrol car and then you still have the batteries to deal with. (infact I believe the most efficient system is to have an onboard electric generator)

Yes the number 30% has been quoted again and again. Are you trying to tell me there isn't 30% that you or your business could save in electrical use? Turn off the TV, go outside and play in the park. Enforce regular working hours. I think its quite achievable.

Of those 54 reactors there has only been about 10 on average running the last year anyway.

pretty sad for the 3rd largest economy

BigBoy69 -- well said. Folks are going to pay more for electricity, which means that with already tight budgets, they'll have to suffer through the hot, humid summer with less AC. And to add insult to injury, they may get rolling blackouts anyway. One year on and the Fukushima disaster continues to negatively impact residents of Japan on a daily basis.

So here we have it. Big business using the media to bring panic to the masses. The utility companies are only thinking of how much money they are losing. Japan has always been a nation proud of its mathematical prowess, but I still can't work this out 54 Reactors needed to produce only 30% of the electricity needs of a population of approx 127 million people?????. Can you imagine the scenario, how much it would cost to decommission 54 reactors. We've seen the figures quoted from the disaster plant, I admit a different situation but its going to take years. I agree with "Disillusioned" what have they been doing for the last 12 months. Politicians have to to start listening to the people who elected them,and after Fukushima they are naturally worried,they don't want another Fukushima.

This is redundant story is getting kind of old..

Maybe a little time in the frying pan will help people get their priorities lined up.

SO FUNNY.. how all the people on this site think you can take away 54 REACTORS but still somehow have enough power for this island country of around 128 million people.... 54 Reactors only equaled 30 of total power output?.... Were they tiny reactors because that is pretty sorry output if you ask anybody.... AND so tired of seeing all tree-huggers talk about green energy... run your car with wind power please... please show us... Solar?... yeah sure.. The anti-nuclear crowd wants it this way?... then sweat in the dark during the summer... pretty sad for the 3rd largest economy

BigBoy69 - Was that an attempt on the worlds longest haiku record?

WilliB,

wish all the antinuclear zealots would opt out of the power grid (and out of civilization if they want) and leave the rest of us alone.

Thank you! Sometimes the plain truth is unpopular.

Of those 54 reactors there has only been about 10 on average running the last year anyway.

Then we need 11 running right now to achieve economic expansion.

Who is in charge of this Country?

wish all the antinuclear zealots would opt out of the power grid (and out of civilization if they want) and leave the rest of us alone.

If the government had used as much of my taxes subsidising small-scale renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro) as they did subsidising the nuclear industry, we could all happily go off-grid.

The problem is that it only takes one of your 'civilised' nuclear plants to do a wobbly for the whole country to suffer - elevated power costs, contaminated food supplies and glow-in-the-dark school playgrounds and all. I wish all the nuclear zealots would opt out of the planet and take their unessential automatic doors, heated toilet seats and pachinko neon signs with them.

Time to conserve energy...but the power companies (with the help of the gov't) want to spread panic to protect profits.

And who is the writer of this one-sided establishment sponsored bullshit?

Earthquakes and nuclear power do not mix!

The accident at Fukushima has 'convinced' the people of Japan that it is so.......

Suffer power cuts and live.

Reinstate the nuclear power industry and die...

Not a tough choice!

Why in the winter was it okay for all Japanese companies to bust the heat up to disgustingly sticky temperatures, but in the summer, we're not allowed to put the AC below 28 degrees? I'm all supportive of using less energy, but c'mon.

Isn't the shutdown what caused the disaster in the first place? The safety systems worked as they were supposed to but the Tsunami took out the backup generators. So they were unable to fire them back up. Most likely this is just a temperately shut down as they will have to fire them back up eventually. I assume they are using the backup systems right now while the reactors are under inspection. Yet turning off a reactor isn't like turning off a light switch. Like it or not they will come back online. This is going to be a very expensive drawn out process which will take years. I can just imagine what it is going to cost for just for one reactor let alone 54! Who is going to pay for all of this Santa Clause lol.

It is nice to know that true investigative journalism is not dead,,,,,,,,,,

This is beyond stupid! Government is showing it's lack of intelligence and lack of decisiveness! Democracy has failed as it completely overshadowed common sense and responsibility. People who run around talk crap need to take responsibility for their votes. Those who voted nuclear power out need to be forced to cut down on energy usage, so those of us who voted for it can still enjoy fulfilling life styles. I also recommend banning all plug in cars as they eat into our limited electricity supply.

The only thing this government is good at is driving this country into the ground. What we will see in next several years is complete destruction of Japanese economy, it is the perfect storm, everyone! We have energy shortage, record price of fossil fuels, strong yen, population shrinkage, increasing costs of social programs, rise in crime rate, increasing tax rates, and add to it unusual cataclysms in weather patterns... I say Japan is done!

Tepco is the private entity entrusted with the management of the worst disaster in human history so the situation does look pretty bleak so far.........

atleast now japan can experience the electricity situation in 3rd world countries.

"If the government had used as much of my taxes subsidising small-scale renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro) as they did subsidising the nuclear industry, we could all happily go off-grid."

Yep, that's it alright.

But let's look at it from now. Japan has to forget about what's gone on so far, and what money has been spent etc. Does Japan want to turn them back on, build some expensive walls which may or may not save the plants during the next earthquake/tsunami?

Japan is at such an important time in it's history right now. This is it. Scrap nuclear power and radically change the way people live and technology for the better...or what? Just turn them on again and hope nothing souteigai happens in 5 or 20 years?

As it is we have to spend lots of money on knowing what to do with the spent fuel rods etc. Let's start now. In 30 years our kids will be looking back on the decisions made now.

"Then we need 11 running right now to achieve economic expansion." The only economic expansion that would happen from that is the fattening of the wallets of all the people who are responsible for this mess. And again we will all pay for it all, forever. Japan needs to get rid of these life term vision-less self interested people who are "running" the country by default in the crazy revolving fashion they do and instead of lining the pockets people who that have already got more than enough, invest in the future. As pointed out by several people if all the money put into these aging decaying power plants had been used for the development for real solutions we would be in a safer more prosperous place.

Instead of creating scare about shortage of Electricity due to closure of all nuclear plants,japan must permit the intelligent industrialists to develop their own captive power plants by choosing any energy mix comprising fossil fuels like coal,oil and natural gas either through local production or by imports and also develop Geo-thermal energy and solar,wind and wave energy and also bio-fuels.Let not the mass media be bothered about restoration of nuclear power under any circumstances. Let Japan also implement the principles of simple living and high thinking as advocated by great men like Buddha and Mahatma Gandhiji.For more scientific details see web sites under "DiaNuke.org" an other blog articles by t.Shivaji Rao by searching under the 'Google search Engine'on the internet

Incidentally, do some research Japan's nuclear had been "lucky" until this point there are case upon case of faked safety records covered up accidents.. How can anyone trust a single word any of them have to say, Fukushima was only a year ago and was lie after lie covered in deception and more or less just a world wide demonstration that the Japanese government has more or less has no control or understanding of the huge companies that are actually running the country.

Leave all nuclear plants turned off, so what you may not have a warm toilet seat to sit on but what a small price to pay to establish REAL energy that is not so harmful, time those who made the decisions made the RIGHT decisions for a change. Going through some hardship now to establish a better way of life is the way forward.

"...facing another summer of severe power shortages."

ANOTHER summer? I wasn't allowed we suffered severe shortages last summer, though I know we had to use less energy at convenience stores and stations, companies, and various places in and around Tokyo had to use half their lighting.

So what's the problem?

WilliB: "I told you so!"

This is about as mature, and PREmature, as the statement made by a poster on yesterday's thread saying, "See?? The last NPP went off and we still have power!" All of this government fear-mongering, which they've been busy doing for more than a year instead of seriously proposing and starting on plans to counter any energy crisis, have yet to be proven. It's a safe bet indeed the economy will suffer in the short term and probably long, but it'll suffer a WHOLE lot more by not starting on alternatives now (especially if there's another disaster). Why not take the tax breaks and subsidies given to the nuclear industry, now that the NPPs are off, and start putting into production of other sources of energy? It'll definitely take time, but if the government doesn't start now we'll be in the same position for years.

Anyway, it sucks that we have to conserve more and may have to pay more, and that Japan's CO2 emissions will rise instead of go down, but it's a far better alternative than Fukushima, and this gives Japan a SERIOUS chance to bounce back as a world leader of innovative and leading technology. I hope this is the case, and it's not just more government pandering to the electric companies and duping of the public, or just general cluelessness they suffer from endlessly.

WilliB: Sorry, meant to add that the reason I say your post is premature is that we've no idea what will actually happen yet, save the government desperately scramble to get public approval to turn the NPPs back on. We don't know that there will be a single power-out whatsoever. What we CAN sufficiently surmise, on the other hand, is that not moving forward with other plans will cost a lot more than if the government started doing something other than trying to spread fear, and giving threats.

how about when the sun goes down, people go home and then go to bed earlier? Might improve people's lives a great deal socially along with reducing useless time wasting energy

How about if they would just hold the Nuclear Power plants to the safety standards that they are not adhering to? Also you don't wait for a problem to happen before planning mitigation for it.

Survival without nuclear power is possible, turn off anything not being used, no flashing pachinko parlour signs, take out every second light bulb in large areas, disconnect electric toilets, no wasteful neon signs, half the number of vending machines, stop wasting electricity making inane brain dead television programs about nothing but screaming, canned laughter, and the word oishii. We will probably have reached the target just by these simple measures.Then lets make the switch to other forms of electricity production and maintain it.

I totally agree. Where there's a will there's a way.

Recently heat kills more people than cold. In the summer heat of nearly 40, for many people it will be hard to survive even for the healthy young ones who can get heatstroke without using air conditioner.

I think the TV should start broadcasting short educational programs on how to do in summer heat or public and government institution giving away flyers.

Another question how it will affect the industrial output. I count on sudden power failures, blackouts, melting freezes and rotten foods in supermarkets and restaurants.

The Munya Times: You'd think they've had air-conditioning here for all of time, the way some people talk about it and how necessary it is. Air-conditioning makes it HOTTER outside, especially in the big cities if everyone has them cranked. True, with the heat-island effect and possibly climate change it seems to be getting HOTTER some summers, but there are steps people can take to avoid heatstroke and/or death from heat:

1) STOP having kids drill on a baked, dirt field for the lunacy that is 'sports day'. If they NEED to practice, have them do so in the early morning or when the sun has passed its apex, and don't have them out in the sun for long period of time, if at all.

2) STOP going out to your little hobby farms in the peak of day (for the old people out there) to garden in the intense heat.

3) HYDRATE: No cola, alcohol, or caffeinated beverages like green tea or coffee; stick to wheat tea, or preferably water. Should intake approx two litres of water/day, and obviously more if you sweat a lot out. Ignore the new Pepsi flavours that come out claiming they'll lower dehydration because they have salt. The odd sports drink doesn't hurt, so long as it's not loaded with sugar and caffeine.

Those are only ways to avoid heatstroke, not ways to conserve electricity. People have given plenty of ideas, but so long as selfish people out their don't do their part (ie. pachinko parlours or similar places in particular) there are going to be problems. THIS is one thing the government should be working on -- mandatory power saving; getting places who normally suck up a lot of power to have restrictions, or else pay a tax beyond using a certain amount of energy. Likewise with companies and individuals, where possible. All those schools that just had air-cons put in? Tell them they are not allowed to use them, save for a computer room, the health room, and perhaps another room for emergencies outside the health room.

"I think the TV should start broadcasting short educational programs on how to do in summer heat or public and government institution giving away flyers."

Agree -- public awareness is another area that needs to be given focus. The problem is, the public often don't want to give up the traditions of kids doing serious physical workouts in 40 degree weather for two months to prepare for sports day, or people often ignore physical safety in favour of convenience.

"Another question how it will affect the industrial output. I count on sudden power failures, blackouts, melting freezes and rotten foods in supermarkets and restaurants."

If a freezer shuts down everything in side it would remain frozen for up to a few days, depending on how often it is open. Likewise food in refrigerators would be fine as well. Industrial freezers and fridges in particular should have no trouble for this long (some small convenience stores might see their frozen treats melt in those tiny freezers if it lasts more than a day), and I doubt a blackout would last for very long, anyway. At worst we'll see the government institute a rolling blackout system like they had in Tokyo after the eartquake (save of course for government buildings!).

smithinjapanMay. 07, 2012 - 04:25PM JST

You'd think they've had air-conditioning here for all of time, .....

No, I am not it's not like that. Actually I don't use. I think most people especially in big cities grew accustomed to air-conditioners to the extent, they can't live without it. Also, I think that leaving a room where the air-conditioner is set to extreme low, - as most people use them - and going to a hot street air is more harmful than staying in a warm room without air-conditioner.

The other things what you wrote about avoiding heat stroke should be printed out everywhere.

Oh BTW There are some things, (what they are called?,) a unit that have some built in rechargeable battery that provides power supply for a few minutes for the Pc until the installed softpack safely shuts down the applications an logs off. PCs don't like sudden power failure. Actually, I expect sudden blackouts, too.

Friend is a homevisit nurse. She says that many of her elderly patients actually don't like air-conditioning and won't let her turn it on. My wife is like this. Use cold water and wet towels, they say.

So, if we have a hot summer, which we won't know until we get there, many older folks will die of the heat, as they do every year, both outside in the fields and inside at home, but how many of those will be related to lack of nuclear power will be hard to judge.

Oh the scaremongering is running high... Oh no! No heated toilet seats, no flushing sounds, no AC running full blast with doors and windows open...

Japan can do so much more when it comes to saving power. Turn off vending machines that aren't needed (ie the ones NEXT to conbini stores), get rid of all the electronic crap in the toilets (really, do I need a flushing sound so no one can hear me pee?), turn off escalators (walk up the damn stairs and if you can't take the elevator for the cripple and moms), get rid of store lights for the day (no need for pachinko signs to be blazed up at 1:00 in the afternoon), turn down or off the AC (nothing like the OLs with their blankets as they're freezing because the big fat boys with their jackets on jack up the AC), get rid of electric doors (what? too lazy to push a door open?), stop building houses that use spo much damn power it is insane. My new place has lights on the light switches running all day. My bathtub is lite up like an Xmas tree to tell me the temperature, the depth of the water... I don't need that crap and can't turn it off. My bathroom fan starts automatically when anyone turns on the light. Useless power that we don't need. Tell the grocery stores that they have to have closed freezers. Why on earth are open freezers even allowed?? Why do I need a red light on my TV, stereo... to tell me it is off? All this little crap sucks up so much energy that we don't need. Get rid of it all.

nandakandamanda: "...but how many of those will be related to lack of nuclear power will be hard to judge."

How can you say 'as they do every year' and then say it'll be hard to judge whether their deaths are related to nuclear power. If they're dying "like others do the same way every year" then it's pretty clear it won't have any relation to NPPs being on or off whatsoever. What does them dying out in a field have to do with NPPs? Them dying inside when, as you said, they never like to use air-conditioning anyway?

The Munya Times: "No, I am not it's not like that. Actually I don't use."

Sorry, Munya, I was not singling you out there; I was talking about the people on here who whine and complain about a lack of air-conditioning as though the machines had ALWAYS been here through history and we've never lived without them in the past. Yes, people are accustomed to them, and I struggle myself in the heat and especially the humidity, but it's a worth-while suffering if it means an end to NP.

Lots of suggestions on saving power, but all of them involve change! Not a strong point here. I hope there are blackouts, inconvenience, it's going to take a lot more to make half the "lifestyle" changes required let alone systematic changes that result in a dynamic and progressive society.

Look, if a chunky monkey white girl like myself can live without AC, so can the rest of Japan unless they are old or pregnant. Leave the old and pregnant women alone with regards to AC. Everyone else? Suck it up.

Or should that be "sweat it out?"

Tell the grocery stores that they have to have closed freezers

Good point. Something I have pointed out here before too. And to people in my family and to my friends and acquaintances. No one seems to care much, though. And that's the problem in this country. The indifference.

People can't handle a little bit of heat.

While I would like to see less electricity wasted by, for example, the over-bright and noisy pachinko places, and would like to see people going home earlier from work, it's worth a reminder that electricity isn't water. Except for small amounts in batteries and the like, it's not in a reservoir that's doled out at need; it's running from the providers all of the time, whether it's used or not. Shortfalls and maybe blackouts happen when the use exceeds what's being provided, at what are called peak hours, typically the hottest hours of summer days.

Thus saving power at evening/night isn't likely to affect the chances of a blackout, although turning off lights, turning down/off A/Cs from late morning to early evening will.

I never understood why Japan built so many nuclar reactors when it's been known to experience quit a bit of seismic activity since, well forever.

Tmarie, totally agree with you about useless idiot lights on everything. If you use power strips with switches, you reduce your usage quite a bit. Simply unplugging things that are not in use makes a difference, too as just by being plugged in there is power running through the primary transformer coil of the item's power supply, and that are alone uses current.

many older folks will die of the heat, as they do every year, both outside in the fields and inside at home, but how many of those will be related to lack of nuclear power will be hard to judge.

According to Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, death toll from heatstroke

2011 (5/30~9/11): 72

2010: 1,718

2009: 213

http://www.fdma.go.jp/neuter/topics/heatstroke/pdf/230913_sokuhouti.pdf

Last year's death toll was the lowest in the past three years even if we were imposed to setsuden.

This thread has as many posts as Japan has nuclear power plants!

Its still hard to believe that a country that protests when American nuclear subs come calling would build NPPs like they were cute little lighthouses on the beach. Now they are all off and the country still functions. What the hell were they thinking?

Its still hard to believe that a country that protests when American nuclear subs come calling would build NPPs like they were cute little lighthouses on the beach. Now they are all off and the country still functions. What the hell were they thinking?

What the hell were they thinking?

Huge cash flows in places where they should not be flowing?

"Who is in charge of this country?" Obviously, not the voters because they re-elect the same philosophy in every election. The names and faces change, but the story is the same. "Get in, sit down, and shut up. We will do what is best for you."

farmboy;

That's about right. Nukes were providing less than 30% of the power. Seventy percent is from other sources that can and will be ramped up.

Yep, other sources such as coal and gas plants - welcome to 30% greater emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollution from that ramping up.

Those that think that japan can make up for the lost power by saving energy are missing the essense of how the major movers of the japanese economy works. The largest chunks of GDP come from industry and tourism, both of which are titanic users of power. When electrical costs go up it increases the cost of exports and the price imposed on travelers which further cripple any semblance of economic recovery.

Renewables cannot provide the necessary power in their current state. If the japanese economy was agriculturally or labor based it would be one thing but the driving force is energy and capital intensive manufacturing and electrically dependant services.

The idea that everybody needs to cut back and allow unrefined power generation techniques to catch up to the times is a race to the bottom in terms of economic development.

I'm all for a mixed approach to energy and I actually do think that many of the nuclear plants in japan need to be closed, but I think newer plants need to take their place. The last century was decided by those who had the greatest access to oil, this century will be determined by those who have the greatest access to power and japan's small geographic size relative to it's population puts it at a very nastey disadvantage in terms of renewable energy generation.

Why would you shutdown nuclear before having enough back-up power generation in other forms?!?

Sorry to say, but without nuclear the environment will be worse with coal. Renewables are not efficient enough to be cheaper than nuclear either. Japan has become one big energy experiment.

Scare mongering, no nukes, deal with it.

Japan first started nuclear power generation in the 60's, about the same time when Japan's economy rose to second place in world ranking. Japan has been in severe recession and economic downhill from the 80's to today. With regards to contribution of nuclear power generation to the economy... you do the math. Then do the right thing for Japan's economy and get rid of nuclear power.

Japan already has the world's most passive and unproductive workforce, education of children is crippled "to increase competitiveness" (heyyy, let me know how that works out for ya!), enviromental pollution is one of highest in developed countries and it's political influence is long gone in world stage.

Get some functional alternative power sources into market, and you might get some whiff of your grandfather's glory days yourselves. Y'know, they raised Japan to world map without nuclear power. Are their sons and grandsons so much weaker? Are they the ones to drag everyody into mud, simply because they made a mistake and don't have the courage to admit they were wrong?

Nuclear power has never been 'cheap', especially in Japan. It is only 'cheap' when you consider a lateral slice of generating costs alone.

When you expose the hidden costs to keep this 'cheap' system afloat then it looks less competitive. It's cheap if you do not spend properly on seawalls and anti-earthquake measures. The astronomical costs of long-term decommissioning have been brought up already, but less talked about is those really huge subsidies recently reported on which the government has to pay into the local communities to keep opinion sweet. Add to these the aftermath of any serious accident and the price becomes too great to bear. 'Cheapness' at any cost?

I can't wait to start living like its 1930...

Nuclear-free Japan braces for summer power shortages

what an alarmist headline!!!!! it should have been written " Nuclear free Japan moves to compensate for the meagre 25 % electricity provided by rejected nukes"

Rick,

I don't know about you, but to me 25% of anything is a fairly significant shortfall to make up. So l would say not alarmist but realistic