New Energy
Energy Crunch Pushes Japan Into Era of Uncharted Coal Power
Fukushima and market liberalization have left the nation reliant on energy imports and old power plants like Takasago.
The Takasago Thermal Power Plant in Hyogo Prefecture on Aug. 18.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
When Japan narrowly avoided blackouts this summer, part of the solution was output from aging coal-fired power stations like Takasago Thermal Power Plant.
Even as the nation aims to shift to cleaner energy sources, it remains heavily reliant on sites like Takasago, built in 1968 and considered far past retirement age. The plant, owned by Electric Power Development Co., or J-Power, has become even more vital amid a global energy crisis and shutdown of nuclear reactors since the Fukushima disaster.