Japan commission supports nuclear power despite Fukushima

FILE: Japan shut down all its nuclear reactors but has restarted five of them. They now produce 1 per cent of Japan’s power. (Photo by Ruth Hartnup/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

TOKYO — Japan’s nuclear policy-setting Atomic Energy Commission has issued a report calling for nuclear energy to remain a key component of the country’s energy mix despite broad public support for a less nuclear-reliant society.

The annual report approved by the commission Thursday calls for nuclear energy to make up at least 20 per cent of Japan’s supply in 2030. It says rising utility costs from expensive fossil fuel imports and slow reactor restarts have affected Japan’s economy.

The 322-page report is the commission’s first since the 2011 meltdowns at a nuclear plant in Fukushima.

The bulk of it explains the government’s effort to clean up the meltdowns and tighten safety standards.

Japan shut down all its nuclear reactors but has restarted five of them. They now produce 1 per cent of Japan’s power.