Tokyo Electric Power Co. led utilities in rallying around a nuclear future, defying growing public opposition to atomic energy amid the Fukushima No. 1 plant accident.
Shareholders of Tepco voted to continue with nuclear power Tuesday at the company's first annual meeting since the crisis at its Fukushima plant wiped about $36 billion off its market value. Kansai Electric Power Co. on Thrusday also reinforced the status quo, with shareholders rejecting a motion to halt reactors.
The votes in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that caused meltdowns at the Fukushima complex show Japan's reliance on atomic energy even as opposition grows. Shareholders of Tohoku Electric Power Co. and other regional energy providers also voted down proposals against nuclear power.