Japan gets cold feet; will not renounce nuclear power

Japan has backtracked on earlier announcements it will totally phase out nuclear energy by 2040.

In an apparent case of cold feet, the Japanese Cabinet has hesitated to commit to phasing out nuclear power by 2040. Cabinet ministers vaguely agreed to pursue the goals of an energy policy document released last week but chose not to endorse the document.

The Cabinet said only that it would take the policy document "into consideration" and would seek public support for the goals while continuously reviewing the process. But the public in this case includes not only the general public, which has come out strongly against nuclear power, but also the nuclear industry and other business interests and communities near nuclear plants that rely on them economically.

An advisory panel had called on Japan to phase out nuclear power within three decades through greater reliance on renewable energy, more conservation and sustainable use of fossil fuels.

National Policy Minister Motohisa Furukawa said the gist of Japan's energy policy remains to phase out nuclear power, though it would take time. Furukawa vowed to push for green energy and to seek to curb carbon dioxide emissions.

Nuclear energy made up about a third of the country's electricity before the March 11, 2011, tsunami caused reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant. Since that incident, nuclear power has become highly unpopular. Only two of the country's 50 functioning reactions are on line while the government addresses public concerns about safety.