Saga Gov. Yoshinori Yamaguchi on Monday approved the restart of two reactors at the Genkai nuclear power plant, with each scheduled to go online as early as this summer.
The decision to clear reactor 3 and 4 at the Kyushu Electric Power Co. facility in the town of Genkai is likely to draw strong reactions from municipalities and residents opposed to their reactivation amid persisting widespread concerns about the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
"After deeply thinking it over, as it was a grave decision to make, I have reached the conclusion that (the restart) is inevitable under the present circumstances," the governor said at a news conference.