A review of the feed-in tariff system, introduced in 2012 to promote introduction of renewable energy following the shutdown of nuclear reactors in the wake of the 2011 disaster at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 power plant, is underway by a panel of experts at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Planned amendments to the system, aimed at addressing several problems that came to light in its first three years, should be implemented in ways that contribute to boosting the scant share of renewable sources in the nation’s electricity supply. The reform should also be accompanied by greater efforts to build a public consensus on what cost the nation is ready to shoulder to establish a sustainable energy supply.
Currently, electricity generated by renewable sources accounts for only 12.2 percent of the nation's total. The share of sources such as solar and wind but not including hydro stands at a mere 3.2 percent. To achieve the government's goal of boosting the renewable share to 22 to 24 percent in 2030 — and hopefully beyond — the system to expand renewable energy supply needs to be based on a long-term vision.