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Gov't lifts power outage warning for Tokyo area, but supply outlook fragile

21 Comments
By MARI YAMAGUCHI

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21 Comments
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While Japan aims to reach carbon neutrality in 2050, it still relies significantly on fossil fuel. While Japan pushes to develop renewables, the government seeks to restart more nuclear power plants although the public's safety concern runs high after the Fukushima disaster.

It is obviously not an easy problem to solve, but supporting the power generation with nuclear without a huge improvement on the safety mechanisms that would prevent another Fukushima makes no sense. Renewables are very good, but at this point there are too many unsolved problems to make them a practical solution.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Agreed, @virusrex. Of course all people standing with two legs in science know, that there is in fact not even a problem to ‘solve’, because there are neither theoretical nor practical solutions. One can always only get less resources or energy out of the model / system than one has to put in beforehand in form of other resources and other energy. And I am pretty sure most people have heard about that at school in the physics lessons, but still cannot accept it and try wildly opposing to what they have learned in their teenage years (or should have learned already then).

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Solar panels, but connected persons have shares in companies that hold NPPs. This is like blackmail. Restart or we cut you off…

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

Nukes back on.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Go back to the sources of the problem: the energy consumption. Turn down/off the overabundant lighting everywhere, for instance. Remove those hideous advertisement speakers in store that have removed the rather tranquil experiences of shopping. There are many more solutions to address the cause of the need for energy here in Japan, and surely everywhere on planet Earth.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2312706-earthquake-disrupts-japans-thermal-power-operations

Not sure how I missed the news that the earthquake on 16 March caused 12 thermal power plants to shut down, causing quite a bit of damage, and seriously reducing generating capacity by over 5 GW.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I just don't see how renewable energies are going to fuel the enormous demands of the big metropolitan areas of Japan. Renewable energies are just not efficient enough to fuel big metropolitan areas. Not against renewable energy, but very skeptical on the reality of how it will work.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

virusrexToday  12:44 pm JST

It is obviously not an easy problem to solve, but supporting the power generation with nuclear without a huge improvement on the safety mechanisms that would prevent another Fukushima makes no sense. Renewables are very good, but at this point there are too many unsolved problems to make them a practical solution.

This is factually wrong.

Renewable energy is growing rapidly and is used widely in Japan, Anyone living here knows that.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Renewables are part of the mix.

What is wrong with increasing that part exponentially, even if we know there is no ultimate, perfect answer?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Stop living in fantasyland. Renewable energies are unreliable and will never be a success. Just restart all the existing nuclear power-plants and Japan’s power shortage will be solved overnight.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

This is factually wrong.

Renewable energy is growing rapidly and is used widely in Japan, Anyone living here knows that.

Renewable energy being popular do not make it wrong the fact that is is not even close to being a replacement at this point for fossils and nuclear.

Do you have any reference to prove renewable energy is sufficient right now to provide for the necessary energy requirements of the country? because if not that would mean it is you the one in the wrong.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Restart the nuclear plants.

Green energy here is often at the expense of forests and wildlife, and at the end , when the natural cycle is broken. it will turn against human. Solar panels must be setup on the roof of each new house, it must be required by law as part of the construction, and then use the wasted land.

People loving in cities do not imagine how forests and nature is damaged the the solar plants

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Hmmm... let's see... how long has Japan had now to make a national energy grid... and yet despite a nuclear meltdown, at the hands of these TEPCO clowns, they haven't made any efforts to do so whatsoever. Let me guess... TEPCO just wants to restart a few of the reactors WAY past their deactivation date... just a few. I mean, sure... they didn't have any of their security working at the biggest of their NPPs and a terrorist could easily have slipped in, they have just admitted. But hey, not THEIR fault! The government subsidies and handouts ACCIDENTALLY went to shareholders!

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Just imagine if 50% of vehicles relied on electricity for their power...

I have solar panels on my house (a huge expense with little benefit!) and would never rely on them to actually power my home, even though they are ideally located for maximum exposure because I designed my own home with that in mind. Just in case, I have to gasoline generator available in case of emergency. Solar is only useful as a SUPPLEMENT to actually reliable energy.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Nuclear Energy

I've been talking about it long before this energy issues and Russian aggression happened.

Nuclear is key for energy independence for Japan. France is a good example what Japan should be doing.

We don't have many resources and limited expensive flat land. Solar and wind are dreams, beautiful dreams that can't cover 125 million Japanese with the 3rd largest economy.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Giant batteries to store the energy generated by fluctuating renewables.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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