11. Wind in Japan

A growing number of wind-power projects have been built in the last few years in areas of Hokkaido and the Tohoku region. As a result, wind-power capacity has more than tripled from 38,000 kilowatts in fiscal year 1998 to 140,000 kilowatts in fiscal year 2000.

The Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy, an advisory panel to the minister of economy, trade and industry, recently published a report urging an increase in wind-power generation capacity to 3 million kilowatts by fiscal year 2010.

However, a report by Hisashi Hattori in ASAHI suggested there may be problems, noting that ‘the liberalization of electric power is making power companies more cost-conscious about wind power, which is more expensive than other means of power generation. Winds blowing at an average speed of 23.4 kph are needed all year around to turn a windmill and generate power, experts say the target seems difficult to meet under the current circumstances.

The advancement of wind-power generation has been supported by power companies that are buying wind-power at a high price to promote development of natural energy sources. But Hokkaido Electric Power Co. recently set a ceiling on the volume of wind-power it buys.’

Opposition emerges

Asahi also notes that opposition has emerged to wind-power in Japan, with opponents claiming that wind turbines destroy the natural environment and create an eyesore. ‘In January, Sanriku, Iwate Prefecture, abandoned plans to build a large wind-power station in conjunction with Sumitomo Corp. According to a Sanriku official, the Iwate prefectural government told the town to conduct an 18-month environmental study because of reports that golden eagles might be nesting near the planned site.’ However, "We had to give up our plans because the survey would delay construction and cost a lot of money", the official said.

But Nippon Steel Corp.’s plans to build a large wind-power station in a prefectural nature conservation park in Yamagata Prefecture were also thwarted by the prefecture, which complained that such facilities would greatly disturb the park’s scenic beauty.

Fukushima Prefecture, where Electric Power Development Co. is planning the construction of a wind-power station, established an ordinance that subjects such projects to environmental assessments."We can no longer ignore the protection of nature and conservation of scenery in promoting wind-power generation", said an Electric Power Development official.

Asahi concludes that ‘the Japanese government should come up with a firm policy to increase wind-power generation capacity without regard to market mechanisms. It also needs to immediately establish a proper system of environmental assessment to ensure that construction projects can be advanced without endangering the natural environment’.

Source: Asahi Shimbun Science News Department, 30 July 2001.