128 P. MIDFORD
Aichi Denryoku aimed to only sell renewable energy. On the eve of retail
liberalization, its generation was entirely based on solar, although it was
exploring utilizing wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass sources. Beginning in April 2016, more than 10% of its generation was to be supplied
by solar. The largest of Aichi Denryoku’s seven facilities was a 58 KW
facility, the smallest was a 35 KW facility, and the average size was approximately 50 KW. Sources: brochures author obtained at Smart Energy
Week on Electricity Market Liberalization, Tokyo Big Sight, March 4,
2016, and interviews with company representatives at the two companies’ joint booth, and at Kinki Denryoku’s headquarters, May 31, 2016.
Since 2016 Kinki Denryoku has abandoned a focus on renewables in favor
of focusing on price. www.kinki-epco.co.jp. Aichi Denyroku continues
to promote renewables, but only sells to small- and medium-sized
commercial customers, not yet to households. www.aichi-denryoku.jp.
20. Interview at Smart Energy Week on Electricity Market Liberalization,
Tokyo Big Sight, March 4, 2016.
21. パワーシフト・キャンペーン.
22. For some reason, Power Shift Campaign no longer recognizes LOOP as
meeting its criteria.
23. The LDP appears to be significantly less pronuclear than Abe personally,
suggesting that the LDP may move further way from nuclear power
under Suga or a subsequent LDP prime minister. For example, K¯ ono
Tar¯ o, who is one of the leading candidates to succeed Suga, is vehemently
antinuclear and pro-renewables, while Koizumi Shinjir¯ o, another leading
candidate, is known to be skeptical of nuclear power, and his father,
former Prime Minister Koizumi Jun’ichir¯ o, has emerged as a leading
nuclear opponent. Regarding the prospects for a decisive move away from
nuclear power by the LDP after Abe, see Koizumi (2018, pp. 126–127).
24. By comparison, Germany’s annual growth in solar capacity peaked at
under 8 GW in 2013 (Matsubara 2019, p. 12).
25. Interview with the President of Aizu Denryoku, July 1, 2019.
26. While the range of vested interests is often described as big EPCOs
versus small renewable energy producers (a description that understates
how big renewable energy producers are becoming, and how many, like
Softbank, are already large corporations), one important check on the
EPCOs has been largely ignored: gas companies. Gas companies in major
metropolitan areas, such as Tokyo Gas and Osaka Gas, were among the
largest and fastest new entrants to the liberalized electricity market, and
have been promoting renewable energy through Ene-farm systems that
combine natural gas reforming to produce hydrogen with small-scale solar
PV systems, allowing near if not complete independence from electricity
grids (see Uriu’s chapter for more on Ene-farms). The rivalry between gas
and electric companies is a two-way street, and Japan appears distinctive
Aichi Denryoku aimed to only sell renewable energy. On the eve of retail
liberalization, its generation was entirely based on solar, although it was
exploring utilizing wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass sources. Beginning in April 2016, more than 10% of its generation was to be supplied
by solar. The largest of Aichi Denryoku’s seven facilities was a 58 KW
facility, the smallest was a 35 KW facility, and the average size was approximately 50 KW. Sources: brochures author obtained at Smart Energy
Week on Electricity Market Liberalization, Tokyo Big Sight, March 4,
2016, and interviews with company representatives at the two companies’ joint booth, and at Kinki Denryoku’s headquarters, May 31, 2016.
Since 2016 Kinki Denryoku has abandoned a focus on renewables in favor
of focusing on price. www.kinki-epco.co.jp. Aichi Denyroku continues
to promote renewables, but only sells to small- and medium-sized
commercial customers, not yet to households. www.aichi-denryoku.jp.
20. Interview at Smart Energy Week on Electricity Market Liberalization,
Tokyo Big Sight, March 4, 2016.
21. パワーシフト・キャンペーン.
22. For some reason, Power Shift Campaign no longer recognizes LOOP as
meeting its criteria.
23. The LDP appears to be significantly less pronuclear than Abe personally,
suggesting that the LDP may move further way from nuclear power
under Suga or a subsequent LDP prime minister. For example, K¯ ono
Tar¯ o, who is one of the leading candidates to succeed Suga, is vehemently
antinuclear and pro-renewables, while Koizumi Shinjir¯ o, another leading
candidate, is known to be skeptical of nuclear power, and his father,
former Prime Minister Koizumi Jun’ichir¯ o, has emerged as a leading
nuclear opponent. Regarding the prospects for a decisive move away from
nuclear power by the LDP after Abe, see Koizumi (2018, pp. 126–127).
24. By comparison, Germany’s annual growth in solar capacity peaked at
under 8 GW in 2013 (Matsubara 2019, p. 12).
25. Interview with the President of Aizu Denryoku, July 1, 2019.
26. While the range of vested interests is often described as big EPCOs
versus small renewable energy producers (a description that understates
how big renewable energy producers are becoming, and how many, like
Softbank, are already large corporations), one important check on the
EPCOs has been largely ignored: gas companies. Gas companies in major
metropolitan areas, such as Tokyo Gas and Osaka Gas, were among the
largest and fastest new entrants to the liberalized electricity market, and
have been promoting renewable energy through Ene-farm systems that
combine natural gas reforming to produce hydrogen with small-scale solar
PV systems, allowing near if not complete independence from electricity
grids (see Uriu’s chapter for more on Ene-farms). The rivalry between gas
and electric companies is a two-way street, and Japan appears distinctive