Japan PM Announces Nuclear Reduction Plan
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant reactors stand in line intact in Okuma town in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan. Radiation has covered the area around the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant and blanketed parts of the complex, making the job of rendering the plant safe so that it doesn't threaten public health and the environment, or "decommissioning", a bigger task than usual. (AP2011)
TOKYO -- Japan's prime minister is seeking to scale back the nation's reliance on nuclear power over the next several decades and make more use of solar energy and other renewable power sources.
Responding to concerns raised by the March 11 tsunami, Naoto Kan on Friday announced a plan for investment in renewables, a re-examination of the national policy promoting the private development of nuclear power and a reworking of the control regional power companies have over their markets.
The plan calls for a roadmap stretching out to 2050 and is an attempt to unify the government's stance on nuclear policy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Earlier this month, Kan called for the complete phase-out of nuclear power, but was opposed by his own Cabinet and slammed by the opposition as irresponsible.