The city of Osaka should issue a demand at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s June shareholders' meeting that the utility get out of the nuclear power business and rely instead on renewable energy sources, a joint prefectural-municipal committee has recommended.
The proposal made Sunday by the joint energy strategy panel came a few days after the mayors of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe were told by Kepco that nuclear power would remain an important energy resource. The mayors had called on the utility to provide a clear timetable for weaning itself from nuclear power.
Kepco, which has 11 reactors, all on the Sea of Japan coast in Fukui Prefecture and all currently idled, relied on them to generate about 44 percent of Kansai's electricity. The mayors have urged the utility to switch to liquefied natural gas and renewable sources.