Japan’s Ministry of Economy
announced today that a price incentive program should boost the country’s clean energy capacity by 13 percent through March 2013. As the country struggles with its energy infrastructure and maintain some semblance of energy independence in the post-Fukushima era,
solar and wind power will comprise the bulk of this new boost in capacity.
The initiative requires that utilities pay above-market rates to clean energy producers. The scheme will work similarly to how feed-in tariff programs work in Europe; utility customers will pay a surcharge of about 0.4 yen (half a U.S. cent) per kilowatt hour. The average cost to customers will be about 100 yen, or $1.24 a month.
Currently Japan gains
nine percent of its electricity through renewables. With
concern over Japan’s nuclear program not receding anytime soon, this ramp up in
clean energy investment should prove to the Japanese that the country’s energy security will only grow stronger. The Japanese have
already proven that they can adjust during the harshest of times and have a
long history of innovation; it is refreshing to see that the country’s institutions are showing that they can work effectively for its people.
Photo of
Ginza at night courtesy Leon Kaye.
About The Author
Leon Kaye
Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division,
GGP Media.
Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event.
His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
He writes for San Francisco-based
Triple Pundit,
Inhabitat and now
The Guardian, for which he writes about corporate responsibility, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's
Architect Magazine.
Leon works out of Fresno and Silicon Valley, California, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 60 countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.
Japan’s Ministry of Economy announced today that a price incentive program should boost the country’s clean energy capacity by 13 percent through March 2013. As the country struggles with its energy infrastructure and maintain some semblance of energy independence in the post-Fukushima era, solar and wind power will comprise the bulk of this new boost in capacity.
The initiative requires that utilities pay above-market rates to clean energy producers. The scheme will work similarly to how feed-in tariff programs work in Europe; utility customers will pay a surcharge of about 0.4 yen (half a U.S. cent) per kilowatt hour. The average cost to customers will be about 100 yen, or $1.24 a month.
Currently Japan gains nine percent of its electricity through renewables. With concern over Japan’s nuclear program not receding anytime soon, this ramp up in clean energy investment should prove to the Japanese that the country’s energy security will only grow stronger. The Japanese have already proven that they can adjust during the harshest of times and have a long history of innovation; it is refreshing to see that the country’s institutions are showing that they can work effectively for its people.
Photo of Ginza at night courtesy Leon Kaye.
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