Our thoughts on the Sixth Strategic Energy Plan
The Sixth Strategic Energy Plan was approved by the Japanese Cabinet on October 22nd.
The Sixth Strategic Energy Plan clearly states that renewable energy should become the major power source and that this would be put in place with the utmost priority and to its maximum capacity. It also states that in order to meet the goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 46% by fiscal 2030, renewable energy should make up 36 ~ 38 % of the power supply. Considering the international targets set to achieve the Paris Agreement, Japans’ coal energy accounting for 19% within the primary energy supply still remains very high and there are still many issues towards meeting the carbon neutrality target by 2050. However, we are pleased that the renewable energy target is very positive compared to the current 22 ~ 24%. Based on the 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target announced in April this year (46% reduction), we believe that the backcasting method of showing the ideal state for 2030 will be a good catalyst for concrete discussions on how to realize this numerical target.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Shizen Energy Group, and we have contributed to approximately 1GW with our renewable energy power generation projects. In regards to the expansion of renewable energy, the Sixth Strategic Energy Plan states that one of the priority issues are acquisition of suitable locations and coexistence within the community. The founding principles of Shizen Energy Group is “We take action for the blue planet”, and it is essential that our renewable energy power plants are deeply rooted and embraced within the local community and also coexist harmoniously. Shizen Energy Group has been exploring possibilities of coexisting within the local community beyond the frameworks of energy using renewable energy as a starting point. Here are some of our projects in motion:
Koshi Agriculture Energy Project – Shizen Energy, City of Koshi in Kumamoto Prefecture and a local company constructed together a solar generation power plant in which part of the dividends and income from the electricity sales are given back to the community for the further development of local agriculture
Nagano Denryoku Inc. – company established by Shizen Energy Group, the town of Obuse in Nagano Prefecture and a local cable TV company to provide electricity and to promote growth to the local community
Shizen Foundation – an initiative to utilize revenue from power plants owned by Shizen Energy Group for the development of regions in which the power plants are located. The foundation gathers funding and provides support for businesses and other parties tackling regional issues
Moving forwards, we will not only pursue the coexistence of renewable energy power plants with local communities in their existing forms, but also strive to develop various power sources and provide new forms of renewable energy such as solar sharing, on-site and off-site PPAs, and micro-grids to meet the diversifying needs of consumers.
In addition, by combining diverse power sources with digital technology and controlling it optimally, we aim to provide a stable supply of renewable energy to consumers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
<For inquiries>
PR, ShizenEnergy Inc.
E-mail: se-comm@shizenenergy.net
