Kansai government leaders agreed Saturday to cut electricity use in the region by at least 15 percent between July and September under the assumption that the Oi No. 3 and No. 4 nuclear reactors in Fukui Prefecture won't be restarted in time to meet peak summer demand.
The governors and mayors of the seven-prefecture, two-city Union of Kansai Governments decided on the measure after a meeting with Goshi Hosono, the minister in charge of nuclear policy, who attended the meeting to explain why the central government wants to restart the reactors.
Under the agreement, Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Shiga, Wakayama, Tottori and Tokushima prefectures, as well as the cities of Osaka and Sakai, will enact policies to cut use of electricity at public facilities by at least 15 percent from 2010 levels between July 2 and Sept. 7 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.