20 September 2012: The September edition of the newsletter of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ) covers Japan’s discussions on its future nuclear-renewable energy mix, and China’s expanding photovoltaics (PV) market and its Five-Year Plan for Renewable Energy.

The newsletter highlights continuing discussions in Japan on the country’s future energy mix, including the government’s “zero scenario” proposal 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). The newsletter mentions that participants of public hearings showed that significant support for the zero scenario but media opinion polls found that support for a continuation of nuclear power is much larger. The newsletter also notes industry’s concerns about the feasibility and economic impact of the three scenarios.

The newsletter further discusses the expansion of the PV power generation market in China, which introduced a feed-in tariff last year. Whereas earlier the focus was more on exports, the newsletter mentions that Chinese deployment is now increasing due to lower costs resulting from earlier advances in the European market. In a special feature on China, the newsletter also highlights China’s “Twelfth Five-Year Plan for the Development of Renewable Energy,” which sets the goals of increasing the ratio of renewable energy to 9.5% of primary energy and 20% of total electricity generation by 2015. The Plan also sets targets for hydropower, wind power, PV, and biomass.

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. 6]