Industry minister Yukio Edano hinted for the first time Tuesday that the government may implement rolling blackouts again this summer.
"If there is concern (over supply and demand), even if only slightly, we could devise a plan to implement rolling blackouts not only for areas covered by Kansai Electric Power Co.," he said.
Kansai Electric is facing an especially tight electricity supply situation.
Rolling blackouts were implemented after the start of the nuclear crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 power plant in March 2011.
A reactor at Hokkaido Electric Power Co.'s Tomari plant in Hokkaido is currently the only commercial reactor operating. It is slated for shutdown on May 5.