Save power to avoid blackouts in summer
The government has compiled an outline of plans to cope with the serious electricity shortages expected this summer in the areas serviced by Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Tohoku Electric Power Co. Both suffered damage to their power generation facilities as a result of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.
The plans include compulsory limits on power consumption by large-lot users such as big factories and department stores, and a strong request for small and midsize firms and ordinary households to reduce their electricity use.
If these power-saving plans are unsuccessful, massive unplanned blackouts might occur. Companies and ordinary households must cooperate with the government's plans to overcome this crisis by trying to save as much electricity as possible.
The government expects a power shortage of up to 15 million kilowatts this summer in TEPCO service areas.
There are two ways to cover this shortfall. The first is to boost the utility's power generation capability, and TEPCO will make up 5 million kilowatts through such measures as resuming operations at suspended thermal power stations.
The power shortage could be lessened even more if companies increasingly use in-house power generation facilities. The government should support companies with such facilities by partially subsidizing their fuel expenses.
The remaining shortage will be covered through power saving.
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July-September peak
Power demand will likely rise sharply between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays from July through September because the use of air conditioners is expected to increase. During that period, the government will require large-lot users to reduce their maximum power consumption by about 25 percent from the same period last year.
This will be a legally binding curb based on Article 27 of the Electric Utility Law.
A similar measure was taken in 1974 during the oil crisis, although a 15 percent cut was required at that time. This time, the envisaged reduction rate is higher. All large companies must devote considerable effort and try various steps to achieve this goal.
The goal could be realized through such measures as moving factories' operating hours to nights or weekends, and increasing production at factories in western Japan.
The Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) is planning to adopt a rotating day-off schedule by industry. Sectors will include the automobile, electrical appliance and steel industries. Some reduction in demand can be expected from this move.
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Rolling outages still possible
Although it is not compulsory, ordinary households will be urged to reduce power consumption by 15 percent to 20 percent. They should try to meet the target by setting higher temperatures for their refrigerators and air conditioners, and by going to bed earlier. We expect the government to provide easy-to-understand explanations on how to save power with concrete examples.
TEPCO on Friday in effect terminated the scheduled area-by-area blackouts that began March 14 after the massive earthquake and tsunami. The government said the rolling blackouts would not be implemented again in principle.
The rolling blackouts were widely criticized because it could not be confirmed until the last moment whether certain areas would lose power, and the blackouts were not implemented evenly in service areas.
However, rolling blackouts might have to be used again if the risk of unplanned massive power outages goes up due to increased power demand as a result of a heat wave. Everyone must be prepared for this possibility.
Japan, U.S. take step toward boosting alliance
U.S. forces, in tandem with the Self-Defense Forces, have been providing aid on an unprecedented scale to victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. We have nothing but the highest praise for the assistance provided by U.S. personnel, which also will be an important contribution toward strengthening the bilateral alliance.
The United States' "Operation Tomodachi" (friend) mobilized up to 20,000 troops to restore airports, harbors and schools, transport relief goods and do other essential work.
From April 1 to 3, U.S. personnel joined SDF members and rescue teams in a massive search for people missing since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. They combed the Pacific coast of three prefectures in the Tohoku region, recovering 79 bodies.
U.S. forces are stationed across Japan, one of its major allies. However, the bilateral security treaty does not obligate the United States to carry out rescue activities when disaster strikes Japan. The massive relief efforts by the United States reflect the mutual trust both countries have forged over many years.
Japan should maintain close coordination with the United States to weather the multiple disasters that have been simultaneously pounding this country.
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Practice pays off
The United States has provided help after detailed discussions and coordination with high-ranking SDF officers conducted daily at the Defense Ministry; the command of U.S. forces in Japan; and the Ground Self-Defense Force's Northeastern Army Headquarters in Sendai.
Experience built up during numerous joint exercises and activities overseas by the SDF and U.S. forces has helped relief operations proceed smoothly in disaster areas.
To deal with the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Japan and the United States have set up several work teams tasked with blocking radioactive substances, nuclear fuel disposal and other operations. Washington also dispatched to Japan an expert squad of marines in charge of radiation detection and decontaminating people exposed to radiation.
During the early stages of the joint relief activities, the United States expressed dissatisfaction with Japan's failure to provide sufficient information on some key matters.
However, the decision to use freshwater rather than seawater to cool reactors at the Fukushima plant was made at the suggestion of Washington, and the United States provided Japan with a pair of huge barges for shipping the water. These steps have deepened bilateral collaboration.
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Ordeal signals deeper ties
The United States has been pressing hard to have the nuclear crisis resolved, not only to support a key ally, but also because doing so is essential for maintaining the U.S. policy of promoting nuclear power generation. Japan and the United States should do their utmost to make the best possible use of their knowledge, equipment and technological capabilities to cope with the situation as effectively as possible.
Japan has never experienced an ordeal like the Great East Japan Earthquake before.
Some people say the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks transformed the world view of the United States. But the impact and ramifications touched off by Japan's March 11 disaster could be even more profound than those of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The hardships facing Japan, however, could be a significant opportunity for Tokyo and Washington to consolidate the bilateral alliance. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Japan enacted a law to deploy SDF vessels in the Indian Ocean, a step that beefed up the alliance.
It is unclear whether a meeting of the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee, known as the "2-plus-2 conference," will go ahead during the holiday-studded period in late April and early May. We hope both countries will do everything they can to hold the meeting as scheduled.
We hope the meeting participants will discuss how the shared experience of handling the quake and tsunami disaster can boost bilateral cooperation. These discussions will take the alliance to a new level.
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