Mare Dickie, of the Financial Times, reports Japan PM urges nuclear power phase-out.
As Japan still struggles with the aftermath of the combined tsunami, earthquake, and nuclear power accident, Prime Minister Naoto Kan, "has called on the country gradually to eliminate nuclear power, in his strongest statement on atomic energy since the March tsunami sparked a crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant."
“Our nation should aim to become a society that can manage fine without nuclear power,” Mr Kan said on Wednesday. ...
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, a leading contender to replace Mr Kan said Japan should phase out nuclear power over the next two decades. Seiji Maehara, one of the most popular figures in the ruling Democratic party, said construction of new nuclear reactors should “basically be stopped”.
Before the March earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant, nuclear power accounted for almost a third of electricity generated in Japan. Mr Kan had previously referred to the technology as continuing to be a “pillar” of energy policy. Shutting down all Japan’s reactors would have far-reaching implications for the energy sector of the world’s third-largest economy and for nuclear technology companies such as Toshiba, Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Prime Minister Kan is struggling for political survival and this adoption of an anti-nuclear policy is seen "as a way to rebuild support," from a public that has turned against nuclear power.
As reported here previously, Mr. Kan also explained it will take "decades or more," to deal with the radiation emissions from the damaged nuclear power plant.
These are all extra costs for this plant that were not included in the original economic analysis of the plants financial risks and benefits.