120 P. MIDFORD
The large EPCOs initially did not offer renewable-energy-only options
for consumers. A TEPCO employee interviewed by the author in March
2016 stated that the company did not offer consumers a renewable energy
plan, and was not considering any such plan moving forward. A KEPCO
employee was more positive: KEPCO did not offer such a plan, but
was considering offering one in the future. 20 By 2020, the options for
consumers had improved as four out of the ten EPCOs were offering
retail renewable energy plans, including both KEPCO and TEPCO, along
with Chubu EPCO (covering the Nagoya region), and somewhat unexpectedly the more rural Shikoku EPCO. On the other hand, Hokkaido,
Tohoku, Hokuriku, Chugoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa EPCOs did not
offer such plans. Chubu EPCO and TEPCO’s plans offer consumers
100% hydro-generated electricity (TEPCO, n.d.; Chuden, n.d.). Shikoku
EPCO distinguishes itself by offering the most diversified and transparent
portfolio of renewable energy, with over 78% of its renewable energy
being supplied by smaller-scale hydropower plants (under 30 MW), and
small amounts being supplied by solar PV and biomass (under 0.5% each)
(Yonden, n.d.), while KEPCO distinguishes itself by offering no transparency for the sources of its renewable energy plan on its Web site
(Kansai Denryoku, n.d.).
Under the slogan “choose electricity change society,” the Power
Shift Campaign 21 is a small NGO helping consumers find retailers that
meet five conditions. These are easy-to-understand information disclosure
about the type of electricity and environmental footprint of the company,
mainly procure electricity from renewable sources, no procurement of
electricity from nuclear power or fossil fuels (except as a backup power
source), emphasize regional and citizen sources of renewable energy,
and have no financial connections with the EPCOs. This site identified only one company meeting these requirements that started selling
power outside of a single region as of April 1, 2016: LOOP, with sales
in the Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka regions. This company aimed to only
sell renewable energy. However, in practice LOOP was procuring 6% of
its energy from large-scale hydroelectric power, 20% from other renewable energy sources, mostly solar, covered by the FIT, and 74% from
non-renewable sources through JEPEX (mostly conventional fossil-fuel
sources). Four years later, LOOP was still obtaining only slightly more
than a quarter of its electricity from renewable sources, but it was the
only renewable-energy-promoting new retailer that was selling in every
region of Japan except Okinawa (Pawa-shifuto 2020; Loop, n.d.).
The large EPCOs initially did not offer renewable-energy-only options
for consumers. A TEPCO employee interviewed by the author in March
2016 stated that the company did not offer consumers a renewable energy
plan, and was not considering any such plan moving forward. A KEPCO
employee was more positive: KEPCO did not offer such a plan, but
was considering offering one in the future. 20 By 2020, the options for
consumers had improved as four out of the ten EPCOs were offering
retail renewable energy plans, including both KEPCO and TEPCO, along
with Chubu EPCO (covering the Nagoya region), and somewhat unexpectedly the more rural Shikoku EPCO. On the other hand, Hokkaido,
Tohoku, Hokuriku, Chugoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa EPCOs did not
offer such plans. Chubu EPCO and TEPCO’s plans offer consumers
100% hydro-generated electricity (TEPCO, n.d.; Chuden, n.d.). Shikoku
EPCO distinguishes itself by offering the most diversified and transparent
portfolio of renewable energy, with over 78% of its renewable energy
being supplied by smaller-scale hydropower plants (under 30 MW), and
small amounts being supplied by solar PV and biomass (under 0.5% each)
(Yonden, n.d.), while KEPCO distinguishes itself by offering no transparency for the sources of its renewable energy plan on its Web site
(Kansai Denryoku, n.d.).
Under the slogan “choose electricity change society,” the Power
Shift Campaign 21 is a small NGO helping consumers find retailers that
meet five conditions. These are easy-to-understand information disclosure
about the type of electricity and environmental footprint of the company,
mainly procure electricity from renewable sources, no procurement of
electricity from nuclear power or fossil fuels (except as a backup power
source), emphasize regional and citizen sources of renewable energy,
and have no financial connections with the EPCOs. This site identified only one company meeting these requirements that started selling
power outside of a single region as of April 1, 2016: LOOP, with sales
in the Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka regions. This company aimed to only
sell renewable energy. However, in practice LOOP was procuring 6% of
its energy from large-scale hydroelectric power, 20% from other renewable energy sources, mostly solar, covered by the FIT, and 74% from
non-renewable sources through JEPEX (mostly conventional fossil-fuel
sources). Four years later, LOOP was still obtaining only slightly more
than a quarter of its electricity from renewable sources, but it was the
only renewable-energy-promoting new retailer that was selling in every
region of Japan except Okinawa (Pawa-shifuto 2020; Loop, n.d.).