Kansai firms and individuals are bracing for a long summer, as contradictory predictions from Tokyo, Kansai Electric Power Co. and renewable-energy advocates are stirring concern over how much electricity will be available, but not fueling a desire to restart two nuclear reactors that would ensure sufficient power.
Since February, when local media reports suggested the Kansai region could face a 25 percent shortage of electricity this summer without nuclear power, the question of how much electricity was really available has been the subject of debate, and doubt.
Over the past three months, the projected shortage has been steadily revised downward.