State expands scope of subsidy recipients for nuclear plants

One thing the central government has never taken responsibility for is generous access and exit routes for local populations around NPPs. Without the ability to flee in any emergency, how are people ever going to trust the authorities?

This question is often asked in the Japanese press but falls on deaf ears. Is this 10% budget allocation increase supposed to address this?

Probably not, otherwise there should be a lot more fanfare...?

This subsidy sounds suspiciously like a bribe to city officials to okay nuclear power plant restarts rather than “to mainly promote renewable energy.”

And, since the utilities have to get more city officials to agree to restarting a plant, of course more “subsidy” money from the central government is required. I wish the utilities would pay the “subsidy” themselves since they are also reaping the profits.

Perhaps if they had to pay the subsidy they would decide nuclear energy suddenly wasn’t “feasbile” i.e. profitable.

"more than 150 local governments are entitled to the subsidy"

Just wondering if the money actually reaches the people. Or is the money set aside for evacuations in the event of a (nother) disaster.

According to the agency, the subsidy program started in fiscal 2016 to mainly promote renewable energy and support other measures to revitalize the economies of local municipalities hosting nuclear power plants when decisions are made to scrap reactors due to old age.

Again okay. If that the case, why are taxpayers handling the cost of decommissioning Fukushima's plants? I know it states that "this" program started in 2016 but didn't Fukushima also receive subsidy funds? If so, what happened to their funds?