The Japanese government is set to decide this week to reactive two of the Oi Nuclear Power Plant's reactors in Fukui Prefecture, but 71 percent of respondents to a survey by the Mainichi Shimbun say the government should not rush to restart the idled reactors, compared with 23 percent who are in favor of an early restart.According to the poll taken June 2 and 3, 48 percent of respondents consider 15 percent as a desirable share of nuclear power in relation to Japan's total power generation in 2030, while 25 percent call for a total abolition of atomic power altogether.
The government of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has been trying to gain local consent to bring the Oi reactors back online in an attempt to beat the scorching summer heat in the coming months. The Oi nuclear plant along the Sea of Japan coast is operated by Kansai Electric Power Co.
The government has come up with four options for the nation's future energy mix in 2030 in preparation for compilation of its new energy policy this summer -- zero percent, 15 percent, 20-25 percent and levels to be determined by the market -- as compared with 26 percent in fiscal 2010 prior to the Fukushima nuclear crisis triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. Read More
