Japan panel head eyes incentive seen boosting solar power

The head of a Japanese panel suggested on Wednesday that utilities pay 52 cents per kilowatt-hour (kwh) for solar power supplies in a renewable energy incentive scheme, a rate that could encourage business investors to enter the budding market.

Japan will introduce in July a new feed-in tariff scheme, which was originally aimed to help cut fossil fuel consumption and has become a key policy as Japan tries to reduce its reliance on atomic power after last year's Fukushima disaster.

Japanese Energy Policy After Fukushima

On December 16, 2011, the government announced that the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant finally achieved a state of "cold shutdown" following the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. It marked the latest in a series of energy-related developments since the "Great East Japan Earthquake" shook northeastern Japan on March 11, leaving in its wake thousands dead, vast property destruction, and a destabilized nuclear power plant owned and operated by Tokyo Electric Power Corp.

Japan to set new energy policy by early 2013

Japan's government plans to formulate a new energy policy by early 2013, and will unveil a range of options to meet energy demand to 2030 by March, Tokyo Shimbun daily said on Friday, possibly delaying investment on renewable energy and increasing the usage of fossil fuels in the near term.

Japan has said it would wean itself from nuclear power amid increased public concern over safety, after a massive earthquake and tsunami in March triggered the world's worst atomic crisis in 25 years at the Fukushima Daiichi station.

World: 10 reasons renewable energy may beat the projections

Five percent? That's the EIA's projected global increase in renewable energy generation by the year 2035. You'd think that nearly 30 years of technological, business and environmental inroads would make a bigger dent in the world's future energy mix.

Aren’t we supposed to be living the solar dream by then? Won’t we be driving to the beach in algae-powered vehicles? Won’t we all revel in our views of majestic wind turbines? The utopian vision of our energy future may not exist in our lifetimes, but it has to have a better outlook than the one released this week.

Japan’s new renewable law to boost photovoltaic sales

It’s still early, and all the details aren’t yet worked out, but last week Japan passed a new renewable energy law, enacted in response to the Fukushima nuclear and tsunami disasters earlier this year.

The law, which goes into effect in July 2012, will establish a new feed-in tariff for solar in Japan and could provide a boost to the solar industry.

International: Australia carbon farming; Japan feed-in tariff; German renewable energy railways

Australia Farmers to Benefit from Carbon Trading

Australia's Parliament is expected to pass the world's first nationwide system for the creation and trade of carbon credits by its farming and forestry industries.

The Carbon Farming Initiative will allow farmers and investors to generate tradeable carbon offsets from agricultural projects.

Japan’s clean energy bill may falter on lawmaker’s ties to utilities

Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s plan to shift Japan toward renewable energy following the Fukushima nuclear accident faces resistance from politicians compromised by close ties to utility companies, an opposition lawmaker said.

Kan has pledged to reduce reliance on nuclear power after an earthquake and tsunami in March wrecked Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear station, causing radiation leaks into the air, sea and soil.