The newsletter reports on discussions in Japan on the desirable mix between nuclear and renewable energy, changes to its electric power system, and declining final energy consumption due to energy savings, as well as on the role of emerging economies during Rio+20, changes to European feed-in tariffs for renewables, and China's Five-Year Development Plan for the Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Industry.
17 August 2012: The August edition of the newsletter of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ) covers discussions in Japan on the nuclear-renewables energy mix, reforms to the electric power system, and the 2012 energy outlook, as well as regional energy issues in Europe, China, the Middle East and Russia.
The newsletter reports on discussions in the Fundamental Issues Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy, on revisions to the Basic Energy Plan. According to the newsletter, discussions focused mainly on the energy mix between nuclear and renewable energy, under three scenarios: a “zero scenario,” which envisions zero nuclear power and 35% renewable energy, a “15 scenario” (15% and 30% respectively), and a “20-25 scenario” (20-25% and 30-25% respectively). Based on national debates, entailing public comments and a public opinion survey, a new Basic Energy Plan will be presented later this year.
The newsletter also highlights: the review by the Eighth Expert Committee of an interim report on the reform of the electrical power system, which is expected to reach a conclusion by the end of the year; and an energy supply and demand outlook for Japan in 2012, which finds that energy demand is showing an upward trend from earlier this year, while final energy consumption is expected to be 1.1% lower than last year, partly due to energy savings.
Other articles in the newsletter draw attention to: the role of emerging economies at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20); adjustments to feed-in tariffs (FIT) for renewable energy in Germany and Spain; China’s 12th Five-Year Development Plan for the Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Industry; and impacts of the political situation in Egypt, Iran, Libya, Russia and Syria on the international energy situation.
IEEJ is an associate member of the Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development (GNESD), a UN Environment Programme (UNEP)-facilitated knowledge network on energy, development and environment issues. [Publication: IEEJ e-Newsletter No. 5]