May 11, 2023

Discussions on a green transformation (GX) package bill began in the House of Councilors plenary session on May 10. Japanese Communist Party member of the Upper House Iwabuchi Tomo criticized the bundle of five bills for ignoring the lessons learned from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown accident under the pretext of the need to decarbonize and cope with the energy crisis caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

More than 80,000 Fukushima evacuees still cannot return to their hometowns. After the accident, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) was established and the related law was revised to set an upper limit to the operating lifespan of nuclear reactors at 40 years in principle with an exceptional one-time only extension for an additional 20 years.

The package bill, however, will allow an even further extensions of the operating limit if the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry approves it. The package will designate the utilization of nuclear power generation as a "government duty" to, in effect, promote nuclear energy. Under the package, the government as its basic measures will work to: maintain and develop nuclear power technologies; reinforce the foundations of the nuclear industry; and prepare a stable business environment for the nuclear industry.

Iwabuchi said, "The package bill aims to protect the nuclear industry as a national policy and to sustain nuclear power generation into the future within a legal framework."

She pointed out, "The government, despite calling for the 'introduction of renewable energy as much as possible', continues to hamper the introduction of renewables as it gives priority to the use of idled nuclear reactors for electricity generation."

Iwabuchi stated, "Japan should withdraw from nuclear power generation, and instead should make thorough energy-saving efforts and introduce renewables on a large scale in order to realize decarbonization."

Past related article:
> Package bill to promote nuclear energy passed through Lower House [April 28, 2023]