Japanese Prime Minister, Government to Decide on Oi Nuclear Station Restart by June 16

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--On June 14, the Japanese government announced that Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Minister of Trade, Economy and Industry Yukio Edano, along with members of the cabinet, would meet and decide on whether to restart units 3 and 4 at the Oi Nuclear Power Station, which is owned and operated by Kansai Electric Power Company Incorporated (TYO:9503) (Osaka, Japan) (Kanden).

With the summer peak season closing in, concerns over power supply and the reinstitution of rolling blackouts have been growing. The restart decision, which is scheduled to be made by June 16, could spell relief for industries and private citizens who are unsure of when their lights will go out.

The decision meeting comes after weeks of meetings among local, prefectural, and national government bodies, including a visit to the Oi by Fukui Prefectural Governor Issei Nishikawa. The governor visited the site and met with local engineers and Kanden employees to inspect new and existing safety measures. The governor is expected to draft a list of any other further desired safety features and submit it to Kanden on June 15.

Aside from the governor's concerns, the approval process for the local governments and self-governing bodies throughout Fukui prefecture is almost completed as of June 14. The mayor of Oi, Shinobu Tokioka, has met with the prefectural governor and expressed his approval of the restart of units 3 and 4. Though the Japanese government does not legally need the approval of the local governing bodies to order a restart of the reactors, it has been Prime Minister Noda's position that gaining locals' understanding is essential.

Prime Minister Noda is scheduled to attend the G-20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, June 18 through 19. The Japanese government has announced its intention to reach a decision regarding the two reactors at Oi before Prime Minister Noda leaves for the summit.

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