Japan Press Weekly

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2023 April 26 - May 9 [POLITICS]

Package bill to promote nuclear energy passed through Lower House

A bundle of five bills (green transformation [GX] power supply bill) was passed through the House of Representatives plenary session on April 27 by the majority vote of the Liberal Democratic Party, Komei Party, "Ishin" party, and the Democratic Party for the People. The Japanese Communist Party and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan voted against the package of bills.

At present, nuclear reactors after 40 years of operation are supposed to be decommissioned by law. However, the package will enable more than 60 years of operation of reactors. In addition, under a situation where Japan has not found an adequate and safe radioactive-waste disposal method, the package will stipulate that the maximum use of nuclear power generation is a "government duty".

JCP representative Kasai Akira protested against the hasty vote which entails less than one month of Diet discussions on whether to perpetuate the utilization of nuclear energy on the pretext of achieving a decarbonized society.

In opposition to the package, Kasai criticized the pro-nuclear power Energy Agency and the nuclear regulator Nuclear Regulatory Agency for proceeding with the reactors' life-prolonging scheme. He stated that this is trampling on the principle of "separation of promotion and regulation", the lesson supposedly learned from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown accident.

Kasai added that the promotion of nuclear power generation will hamper the transition to renewable energy.

He demanded that in order to realize a Japan without nuclear power generation, the government make a shift in its energy policy and focus on locally-produced, locally-consumed renewables which contribute to stimulating regional economies.

Past related article:
> Bill allowing use of 60-year-old and even over NPPs ignores lessons derived from Fukushima disaster: Kokuta [March 1 & 2, 2023]