Japan's effort to obtain more power from wind turbines is being held up by requirements that force developers to conduct environmental impact assessments, undermining government support for the industry, according to a lobby group.

The rules requiring the assessments for wind developers took effect in October 2012, three months after the government introduced an incentive program for wind, solar, small hydro, biomass and geothermal power.

"Wind is far from being accelerated," Tetsuro Nagata, president of the Japan Wind Power Association, said in an interview in Tokyo. "We aren't even at the starting block."