Japan to Raise Elec Supply Target from Renewables

Japan should nearly treble the supply of electricity generated by renewable energy by 2014 from current levels to reduce use of fossil fuels, a government panel on energy policy said on Tuesday.

The call, which comes amid growing pressure on governments to act against global warming, may force Japanese utilities to double related costs with little incentive.
The energy subcommittee of Japan’s trade ministry said in a draft report that utilities should be required to raise supplies of electricity generated by renewable energy, such as wind and solar power and biomass, to 16 billion kilowatt-hours a year by the fiscal year starting in April 2014.

That compares with 5.5 billion kilowatt-hours supplied in the year ended in March 2006, or about 0.5 percent of Japan’s total annual electricity supply.

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