In a bid to overcome electricity shortage, Japan has planned a major step!
On Wednesday, December 25, a government-commissioned panel of experts expressed their support for the country’s latest energy policy made for the upcoming few years, reported AP News.
The newly introduced policy calls for boosting and supporting renewables up to half of the electricity needs by the year 2040 with much focus paid on nuclear power generated electricity to meet decarbonization targets set by the East Asian country.
During the panel’s meeting, Industry Minister Yogi Muto stated, “How we can secure decarbonized energy determines Japan’s future growth. It's time to stop discussing a choice between renewable energy and nuclear power. We should maximize the use of both renewables and nuclear.”
The panel, which primarily comprises of 16 members from business, academia, and civil groups, has supported the draft plan put forward by the Industry Ministry by major votes.
Notable, the plan is yet to be approved by the Japanese cabinet, which may be done by March 2025.
“The new proposal says nuclear energy should account for 20% of Japan’s energy supply in 2040, up from just 8.5% last year, while expanding renewables to 40-50% from 22.9% and reducing coal-fired power to 30-40% from nearly 70% last year,” quoted the outlet.
It is worth mentioning that Japan has made a target of achieving net zero emissions of climate-warming gases by 2050.
