With renewable energy sources such as solar power in wider use in Japan, output controls aimed at balancing power supply and demand have been used more frequently.
In fiscal 2022, which ended in March this year, cuts to the amount of renewable energy generation came to about 600 million kilowatt-hours, about six times more than in fiscal 2018.
In the current fiscal year, Chubu Electric Power and Kansai Electric Power, which both serve large cities with high demand, controlled output for the first time. In order to bring about a decarbonized society, Japan needs to figure out how surplus power stemming from the expansion of renewable energy output can be used efficiently.