According to researchers, 74 nuclear reactors are located in areas of east and southeast Asia that face the threat of large tsunamis, Homeland Security News Wire reports.
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's Cabinet on Wednesday stopped short of committing to phase out nuclear power by 2040, backtracking from an advisory panel's recommendations in the face of opposition from pro-nuclear businesses and groups.
Ministers did not endorse the 20-page national energy policy that was released by the Cabinet advisory panel Friday, though they offered a more vague endorsement of its goals.
TOKYO (AP) — Japan has launched a new nuclear oversight agency following criticism that collusion between regulators and plant operators contributed to meltdowns at the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant.
Japan began reviewing its energy policies following the Fukushima crisis. Before the accident, resource-poor Japan relied on nuclear power for one-third of its energy and had planned to raise that to 50 percent.
Japan has announced that it will resume construction on three nuclear power plants despite plans to phase out nuclear power by 2040, Examiner.com reports.
TOKYO (AP) — A Cabinet panel on Friday called for Japan to phase out nuclear power over the next three decades in what would be a major shift of national energy policy prompted by the Fukushima meltdowns.
Reversing Japan's decades-long advocacy of nuclear power is popular with the public, though it faces opposition from powerful business interests. The new policy calls for greater reliance on renewable energy, more conservation and sustainable use of fossil fuels and would see Japan joining Germany in turning its back on nuclear energy.
The Japanese government has decided to go nuclear-free by the 2030s, breaking away from its traditionally pro-nuclear energy policy, The Washington Post reports.
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's prime minister hinted Wednesday that the government will announce a gradual abandonment of nuclear power when it issues a new energy policy this week. News reports said the Cabinet has already agreed to the new policy.
Yoshihiko Noda said during a debate among party leadership candidates that he understands that most Japanese support a nuclear-free country. He also said he would take into account his ruling party's recommendation last week that Japan's dependency on nuclear energy be phased out by the 2030s.
Japan has provoked the fury of Chinese President Hu Jintao after agreeing to purchase two disputed islands in the South China Sea from their private owners, Reuters reports. The islands are surrounded by potentially massive gas reserves.
Russia and Japan are putting energy cooperation ahead of a longstanding territorial dispute as they move ahead with a long-awaited liquefied natural gas project in this far eastern seaport, The Associated Press reports.
The Japanese government has delayed its decision on the future of the country's future energy portfolio to this week as it struggles to find a popular energy mix, Reuters reports.
Liberal watchdog group Checks and Balances Project said the State Department inspector general is investigating potential conflicts of interests in the department's environmental review of the Keystone XL pipeline, The Hill reports.
West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Attorney General Patrick Morrisey joined a push to have the Supreme Court rule to overturn EPA greenhouse gas regulations, The Charleston Gazette reports.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., voiced optimism that President Obama would not veto his bill to authorize oil and gas drilling off the coast of Virginia, The Hill reports.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said a key satellite tasked with tracking severe eastern weather failed and a spare has been activated, Reuters reports.
The new chemical safety compromise bill introduced by Sens. David Vitter, R-La., and Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., now has 20 co-sponsors, The Hill reports.
Participants in the Energy Department's Better Buildings Challenge, designed to reduce energy consumption at buildings, saved about $58 million in energy costs last year, The Journal Sentinel reports.
In a Q&A with State House News Service, Massachusetts Senate candidates Rep. Ed Markey, D, and Gabriel Gomez, R, give their take on the Senate battle to confirm EPA nominee Gina McCarthy.
In an interview with GreenBiz.com, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick discusses his vision for his state's energy policy, including his plans for offshore wind generation.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan to reform the Long Island Power Authority over flaws exposed by Hurricane Sandy is unpopular among municipal bond investors, Bloomberg reports.
