Meta Data
Title in national language: 
エネルギー基本計画
Draft: 
No
Revision of previous policy?: 
Yes
Draft Year: 
2014
Effective Start Year: 
2018
Scope: 
National
Document Type: 
Plan/Strategy
Economic Sector: 
Energy, Power, Transport, Building, Multi-Sector, Other
Energy Types: 
All, Coal, Oil, Power, Gas, Nuclear, Renewable, Bioenergy, Geothermal, Hydropower, Solar, Wind, Other
Issued by: 
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Notes: 
Provisional Translation
Overall Summary: 
The Fifth Strategic Energy Strategy is giving the top priority to safety regarding nuclear power when realizing the 2030 energy mix and making its energy choices for 2050 and is reducing its dependency on nuclear power as much as possible as it aims to expand renewable energy.
Access
Energy access priorities: 
[E]fforts will be made to work on systems to supply oil products to geographically disadvantageous isolated islands as a regional challenge.---From the global perspective, securing stable supply of energy is a challenge common to mankind that affects fundamental issues relating to society, such as human rights and the environment. Through its efforts to overcome the challenge, Japan aims to contribute to the creation of a hopeful future for children around the world.
Efficiency
EE priorities: 
GOJ encourages development of innovative technologies that can realize significant energy saving across industries.
EE targets: 
[R]egarding highly efficient lighting equipment (e.g. LED lighting and organic EL lighting), we aim to achieve a penetration rate of 100% on a flow basis by 2020 and on a stock basis by 2030.---With regard to houses, GOJ aims to achieve net zero energy for standard newly constructed houses by 2020 and for all newly constructed houses on average by 2030.---Japan will take measures regarding automobiles themselves, such as increasing the ratio of next-generation vehicles to all new vehicles to 50%-70% by 2030.---[B]y the early 2020s, smart meters will be introduced into all households and businesses.
EE action plans: 
[...] GOJ will promote energy efficient measures such as renovation and rebuilding of existing buildings and houses with high energy efficiency performances and the enhancement and dissemination of the evaluation and labeling schemes concerning comprehensive environmental performance, including energy efficiency performance. In addition, GOJ will encourage high heat insulation performances for new buildings and houses and the introduction of energy efficient equipment into them and promote the dissemination of certified low-carbon buildings, which have better energy efficiency performances.---GOJ will phase in the obligation for newly constructed houses and buildings to meet the energy efficiency standard by 2020, with due consideration given to the need for and degree of the regulation, etc.---Japan will take [...] steps to improve traffic flow such as the development of loop routes and other trunk road networks and introduction of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).---To reduce energy consumption in the field of distribution, an efficient distribution system will be created through a modal shift, etc. Specifically, consolidation of distribution bases and implementation of joint efforts by consignors and freight carriers, including joint distribution and transportation, will be promoted.---[N]ot only conserving energy consumed by vehicles and ships, but also energy used at facilities such as railway stations, harbors and airports will be reduced by introducing energy efficient equipment and increasing the use of LEDs for lighting.---[...] GOJ facilitates introduction of an energy management system, such as BEMS (Building Energy Management System), and encourages the acquisition of the certification of the ISO50001 standard for energy management procedures as well as supplying information on energy efficient measures.---[S]teps will be taken to establish a system under which consumers control demand according to requests from retailers and transmission and distribution operators and receive rewards from them in exchange through the mediation of an energy use information manager (aggregator), who handles trading of Negawatts (credits for the amount of electricity saved) on behalf of multiple consumers.
Renewable Energy
RE priorities: 
GOJ has accelerated the introduction of renewable energy as far as possible for three years since 2013 followed by continuous active promotion. Therefore, GOJ steadily proceeds with the enhancement of power grids, rationalization of regulation, research and development for cost reduction, etc.---As for medium and small hydropower generation [...] proactive steps will be taken to expand the introduction of such power generation.---Japan aims to establish Fukushima as a center of the renewable energy industry.---Dependency on nuclear power generation will be lowered to the extent possible by energy saving and introducing renewable energy as well as improving the efficiency of thermal power generation, etc.
RE targets: 
[I]nstallation of hydrogen refueling stations will be promoted [...]. These steps will be taken with the goal of increasing the share of next-generation vehicles to 50-70% of all new vehicles by 2030.
RE action plans: 
[I]n order to smoothly and quickly introduce wind power generation facilities, efforts will be continued to accelerate environmental assessment and rationalize safety regulations under the Electricity Business Act.---Geothermal power generation: efforts such as mitigating investment risk, accelerating environmental assessment, streamlining safety regulations under the Electricity Business Act as well as further streamline of regulation/system will be promoted. ---[I]n order to construct distributed energy systems using a combination of small renewable energy sources, support for participation will be provided to make participation by individuals and small businesses easier.---[M]easures will be taken to promote the use of urban biomass, such as sewage sludge and food waste and crop plants for biofuel in deserted arable lands.---Support will be provided for the introduction of heat supply facilities that use renewable energy-derived heat, including solar heat, geothermal heat, snow ice heat, hot spring heat, seawater heat, river heat and sewage heat. At the same time, demonstration tests will be conducted with regard to multiple types of renewable energy-derived heat and the usage of multiple types of heat in heat storage tanks [...].---[T]he installation of hydrogen refueling stations will be promoted through regulatory reform and appropriate sharing of the cost between GOJ and the private sector.---To promote introduction of fuel-cell vehicles, which will go on commercial sale from 2015, hydrogen refueling stations will be constructed at about 100 places, mainly in the four major metropolitan areas.
RE prioritization, portfolio standards: 
As for the energy mix, Japan should make an announcement quickly in light of the position of each energy source in the energy supply-demand structure after assessing the prospects for the restart of nuclear power plants, introduction of renewable energy based on the feed-in-tariff program and the status of international discussions on global warming problems, including Conferences of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
RE feed-in tariffs: 
[A]ppropriate management of the feed-in-tariff system and deregulation measures, such as reducing the period of the environmental assessment, will be promoted.---[T]he feed-in-tariff program, must be comprehensively studied in light of such issues as a cost increase, reinforcement of power grids, in reference to the situations in other countries, and on the axis of developing policy combination which can balance both promotion of maximum use of renewable energy and mitigating people’s burden, in accordance with the revision of the Strategic Energy Plan based on the law. Necessary steps will be taken based on the results of the study.
Environment
Energy environmental priorities: 
Contribution to global warming countermeasures for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions[...] by improving energy efficiency.---From the viewpoint of global warming countermeasures, it is also important to encourage a steady shift to natural gas in the industrial field, etc. by diversifying the way of utilization, including the use of the gas for local-level distribution of power sources through cogeneration systems, etc. as well as its use as a hydrogen source, and to promote the advanced usage of natural gas, such as combined cycle thermal power generation.
Pollution control action plans: 
In addition to promoting the replacement of aging thermal power plants and introducing available leading-edge technology through the construction of new facilities and the expansion of existing ones, GOJ further promotes the development of technologies to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions per unit of generated power (e.g., IGCC) by largely improving the power generation efficiency.---[T]he export of Japan's cutting-edge high-efficiency coal thermal power generation technology will be promoted so that coal can be used in ways that have less environmental impact abroad.
Cooperation in env.: 
[T]he export of Japan's cutting-edge high-efficiency coal thermal power generation technology will be promoted so that coal can be used in ways that have less environmental impact abroad.---Japan will take necessary measures and promote relating R&D to ensure nuclear non-proliferation and strengthen nuclear security in light of international developments, including the holding of the Nuclear Security Summit and the adoption of the revised Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material.
Pricing
Energy taxation: 
[B]ecause local transmission and interconnection lines will be required to accept renewable energy, first, steps will be taken to foster special purpose corporations that seek to recover investments for installing intra-regional transmission lines by levying fees for the use of the lines by wind power generators.
Energy Supply and Infrastructure
Infrastructure development priorities: 
As for the energy mix, Japan should make an announcement quickly in light of the position of each energy source in the energy supply-demand structure after assessing the prospects for the restart of nuclear power plants, introduction of renewable energy based on the feed-in-tariff program and the status of international discussions on global warming problems, including Conferences of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.---Therefore, as for what the power source mix should be like, it is important to pursue a well-balanced structure in order to prevent possible additional costs from imposing a heavy burden on the people's lives and economic activities.---To overcome such challenges and enhance response capability against changes of international situation, it is important to develop a policy framework that enables the improvement of self-sufficiency by continuing mid- to long-term efforts to strategically utilize renewable energy, nuclear power as quasi-domestic energy, and resources laying in Japan’s EEZ, including methane hydrate and other offshore resources, as a domestically-produced energy---GOJ has accelerated the introduction of renewable energy as far as possible for three years since 2013 followed by continuous active promotion. Therefore, GOJ steadily proceeds with the enhancement of power grids, rationalization of regulation, research and development for cost reduction, etc.--- In the mid- to long-term, cost reduction is expected to promote the introduction of solar power based on its position as an energy source which complements peaking demand in daytime hours in the distributed energy system and which contributes to the implementation of energy management involving the participation of consumers---As for medium and small hydropower generation [...] proactive steps will be taken to expand the introduction of such power generation.---As hydropower plays a role of excellent energy source of stable supply except for drought-related problems, it will keep an important role in the energy supply structure.---Dependency on nuclear power generation will be lowered to the extent possible by energy saving and introducing renewable energy as well as improving the efficiency of thermal power generation, etc. Under this policy, GOJ will carefully examine a volume of electricity to be secured by nuclear power generation, taking Japan’s energy constraints into consideration, from the viewpoint of stable energy supply, cost reduction, global warming and maintaining nuclear technologies and human resources.--- [Coal] is an energy source that we should use while reducing the environmental load through the utilization of highly efficient coal thermal power generation technology, etc.---For the moment, Japan is procuring LNG at a high price compared to international standards. Therefore, it is important to promote cost reduction by diversifying the supply sources, etc. while avoiding overly depending on it as a power source. GOJ promotes diversification in its usage[...] LP gas is required to play a more important role in the transportation sector, as a fuel for LP gas-powered vehicles, for example---Since LP gas will be an energy source of “last resort” in the event of a disaster, GOJ promotes to make supply system more resilient such as proceeding with stockpiling and enhancing facilities of core filling stations---[T]he time from now to 2018-2020 is positioned as an intensive reform implementation period for upgrading energy-related infrastructure[...].---[B]ecause local transmission and interconnection lines will be required to accept renewable energy, first, steps will be taken to foster special purpose corporations that seek to recover investments for installing intra-regional transmission lines by levying fees for the use of the lines by wind power generators.---Technological innovations required to ensure the stability of power grids will be promoted.---[T]he disaster resistance of roads will be improved to use such roads as transport route for oil supply.---[E]lectric power transmission infrastructure, such as frequency converters and inter-regional connection lines between eastern and western Japan will be enhanced putting the organization in the center of installing such interconnection lines.---[E]fforts will be made to disseminate infrastructure technologies, including the Community Energy Management System (CEMS) and a technique for communicating information obtained through smart meters to the Home Energy Management System (HEMS) (route B), standard interfaces such as ECHONET Lite (standard for communication between HEMS and home appliances) and know-how concerning coordination between relevant parties necessary for building a smart community.---[T]he business foundation of smart communities will be built by promoting the development of energy infrastructure for region-wide use of energy in collaboration with area-by-area, street-by-street urban development [...].
Regional integration priorities: 
GOJ promotes expansion of regional comprehensive energy projects such as a smart community project into the international markets.---It is essential to promote [...] cooperation with oil producing countries [....].
Trade
Energy trade priorities: 
It is essential to promote [...] cooperation with oil producing countries [....].---[T]he export of Japan's cutting-edge high-efficiency coal thermal power generation technology will be promoted so that coal can be used in ways that have less environmental impact abroad.---[D]evelopment of technologies for high-efficiency gas thermal power generation, efficient use of such power generation and export of such technologies will be promoted.---As for biofuels, which are mostly imported, GOJ continues the introduction of such fuels while taking into consideration international situation and the technology development trend concerning next-generation biofuels.
Bi- and multi-lateral energy agreements: 
It is important to make comprehensive diplomatic efforts to develop comprehensive and mutually beneficial bilateral relations with countries that supply Japan with resources, instead of merely forming relations based on resource trade. The countries include Saudi Arabia and UAE in the case of oil; Australia, Qatar, Malaysia, Russia and Indonesia in the case of natural gas; Australia and Indonesia in the case of coal; and Chile, Peru, Australia, Canada and South Africa in the case of metal resources.
Investment
Energy sector investment priorities: 
[T]echnological development and capital investment will be promoted to enable the processing of non-conventional crude oil, such as heavy crude oil and super light oil.
Investment climate development: 
[I]n order to construct distributed energy systems using a combination of small renewable energy sources, support for participation will be provided to make participation by individuals and small businesses easier.---[...] Japan should proactively promote internationalization, strengthen overseas business operations and take advantage of foreign demand in order to enable the energy industry to reinforce the management base and achieve further development while helping to stabilize Japan’s energy supply.
Public Private Partnerships: 
[I]t is extremely important for the public and private sectors to work together to reduce the cost of procuring fossil fuels.---To further accelerate Japanese firms’ participation in upstream projects, the public and private sectors will cooperate in implementing measures to raise the independent development rate through aggressive resource diplomacy and reinforcement of the risk money supply function of Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC).--[I]n order to promote procurement of resources such as LNG and coal in a stable manner and at a competitive price, the public and private sectors will cooperate with each other in securing and strengthening functions necessary for accepting large vessels.---[I]n order to construct distributed energy systems using a combination of small renewable energy sources, support for participation will be provided to make participation by individuals and small businesses easier.---[T]he installation of hydrogen refueling stations will be promoted through regulatory reform and appropriate sharing of the cost between GOJ and the private sector.
Overseas investment support: 
In light of Japan’s energy supply structure that depends heavily on overseas resources and increasingly weakening domestic energy demand, Japan should proactively promote internationalization, strengthen overseas business operations and take advantage of foreign demand in order to enable the energy industry to reinforce the management base and achieve further development while helping to stabilize Japan’s energy supply.
Governance
Energy management principles: 
Confirmation of the basic viewpoint of the energy policy: Japan cannot keep developing without establishing an energy supply-demand structure that realizes a stable energy supply system which imposes a light burden on society. However, as mentioned in Chapter 1, Japan’s energy supply-demand structure is vulnerable. In particular, carrying out a bold reform of the energy supply-demand structure is inevitable in order to overcome challenges Japan has faced since the Great East Japan Earthquake and the TEPCO’s Fukushima nuclear accident.---Participation of diverse entities in the energy supply structure through structural reforms.---Creating an energy supply-demand structure led by the demand side through providing various options for end users.---Japanese government will proactively support such measures that contribute to improvement of the negotiation environment, for example, by conducting a study on a LNG futures market.---Geothermal power generation: streamlining safety regulations under the Electricity Business Act as well as further streamline of regulation/system will be promoted.---In light of Japan’s energy supply structure that depends heavily on overseas resources and increasingly weakening domestic energy demand, Japan should proactively promote internationalization, strengthen overseas business operations and take advantage of foreign demand in order to enable the energy industry to reinforce the management base and achieve further development while helping to stabilize Japan’s energy supply.
National policy structure: 
Improving self-sufficiency [...]: it is important to develop a policy framework that enables the improvement of self-sufficiency by continuing mid- to long-term efforts to strategically utilize renewable energy, nuclear power as quasi-domestic energy, and resources laying in Japan’s EEZ, including methane hydrate and other offshore resources[...].---[A] road map toward realization of a hydrogen society will be formulated by the spring of this year, and a council which comprises representatives of industry, academia and government and which is responsible for its implementation will be established as soon as possible.
Energy institutional structures: 
[T]he Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators will be established.---[A] road map toward realization of a hydrogen society will be formulated by the spring of this year, and a council which comprises representatives of industry, academia and government and which is responsible for its implementation will be established as soon as possible.
Coordination with regional energy associations: 
[C]ommunications between energy producers and consuming nations will be facilitated and collaboration between consuming nations will be strengthened by providing many opportunities for international dialogue, such as the LNG Producer-Consumer Conference, Japan-India Energy Dialogue and Japan-South Korea Gas Dialogue.---It is necessary to actively contribute to the IEA, which has abundant accumulated experiences in the field of emergency response and in a broad range of energy policy fields, stable multilateral frameworks with substantial secretariat functions, such as the IAEA, and international and regional forums such as G8, G20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.---It is imperative to further develop the East Asia Summit (EAS) into a more effective multilateral framework for discussions about energy security with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) as the core organization.
Technology
Clean energy technology priorities: 
[I]n order to acquire new resource interests and obtain the renewal of resource interests, Japan will capitalize on its strength to develop advanced technologies in various fields. For example, Japan will promote efforts in fields such as R&D for upstream development and floating production, storage and shipment facility for LNG (FLNG) [...].---Wind power: [A]s early as possible by around 2018, technological development will be promoted, safety, reliability and economic efficiency will be evaluated and the method for environmental assessment will be established.---[E]fforts will be made to disseminate infrastructure technologies, including the Community Energy Management System (CEMS) and a technique for communicating information obtained through smart meters to the Home Energy Management System (HEMS) (route B), standard interfaces such as ECHONET Lite (standard for communication between HEMS and home appliances) and know-how concerning coordination between relevant parties necessary for building a smart community.---Dependency on nuclear power generation will be lowered to the extent possible by energy saving and introducing renewable energy as well as improving the efficiency of thermal power generation, etc.---Japan will take necessary measures and promote relating R&D to ensure nuclear non-proliferation and strengthen nuclear security [...].--- further dissemination of distributed energy systems through the use of storage batteries, fuel cells and other technologies[...].
Clean energy technology deployment: 
Methane hydrate: Technological development will be promoted so that a project for commercialization led by private businesses can be started between 2023 and 2027, with an eye to international situation.---To promote introduction of fuel-cell vehicles, which will go on commercial sale from 2015, hydrogen refueling stations will be constructed at about 100 places, [...]. In addition, technologies to lower the cost of parts and materials will be developed.---Renewable Energy: [I]t is necessary to proceed with technology development [...] including creation of new technologies such as the world’s most advanced floating offshore wind power systems and large-scale storage batteries.---[T]he use of large storage batteries and hydrogen will be promoted in order to resolve the problem of output fluctuation related to renewable energy.
Low-emission and cleaner coal technology: 
In addition to promoting the replacement of aging thermal power plants and introducing available leading-edge technology through the construction of new facilities and the expansion of existing ones, GOJ further promotes the development of technologies to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions per unit of generated power (e.g., IGCC) by largely improving the power generation efficiency.---[T]he export of Japan's cutting-edge high-efficiency coal thermal power generation technology will be promoted so that coal can be used in ways that have less environmental impact abroad.
Natural gas transportation technology: 
GOJ promotes diversification in its (LPG) usage by curbing cost through conducting surveys on retail prices and providing information about them to enhance transparency and through improvement of the supply structure of business operators, and LP gas is required to play a more important role in the transportation sector, as a fuel for LP gas-powered vehicles, for example.---[I]mprovement of access to, and promotion of the development of, natural gas pipelines as well as LNG terminals.
R&D renewable energy: 
As for hydrogen usage technology, GOJ steadily promotes such strategic efforts including R&D from now on.---Hydrogen: GOJ promotes to arrange systems and infrastructure strategically in order to drive a variety of R &D and cost reducing, and to make a practical realization of such technology in order of feasibility.---To promote introduction of cogeneration, introduction assistance measures will be taken and a study will be conducted on specifically how to facilitate trading of electricity generated through cogeneration systems, including fuel cells.
R&D energy efficiency: 
[C]lose examination and analysis of the actual status of energy consumption is necessary. [...] basic information will be researched and analyzed to expedite efforts to save energy further and, based on the results of the research and analysis, new energy-efficient measures will be crafted.