Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

• Power supply and demand policies for upcoming summer months

(Abridged)

REPORTER: According to some press reports, the Government has decided on a policy of implementing planned power outages, depending on the situation, in the service areas of power companies that will face severe power supply and demand issues during the summer months. What are the facts behind these reports?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: This evening a joint meeting of the Electricity Supply-Demand Review Meeting and the Energy and Environment Council is planned to be held, which Prime Minister Noda will also attend. It is planned that the joint meeting will discuss the following three issues: 1) Revised policy concerning energy conservation targets for the summer, 2) Future measures to respond to power supply and demand during the summer, and 3) Concept for planned power outages as a safety net. In that sense, given the fact that preparations are underway in the Kansai region to restart operations at Oi Nuclear Power Station, the meeting today will discuss revised policies and make a decision. The press reports on this matter are a little ahead of themselves.