Japan Govt Paper Calls for Restart of Nuclear Power Plants

   Tokyo, June 24 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Atomic Energy Commission stressed the importance of restarting nuclear power plants in a white paper on nuclear energy for fiscal 2024 released Tuesday.
   The commission under the Cabinet Office said that measures to stabilize energy supplies have become more important than ever to counter higher fossil fuel prices due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
   "Increasing the utilization of nuclear power while putting the top priority on safety will be effective," the annual report said. Also mentioned was the importance of nuclear plant restart for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
   "Electricity prices were reportedly curbed in the Kansai and Kyushu regions, where nuclear power plants were restarted," even after Russia invaded Ukraine, the paper said.
   The commission also said that people's concern about and distrust of nuclear power remain strong, even 14 years after the meltdown accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The white paper called on the government and electricity companies to improve the situation by enhancing information dissemination through social media and other platforms.

(2025/06/24-18:09)