Japan has not ruled out the possibility of complete closure of its nuclear power stations as one option for the country's future energy policy after the world's worst nuclear accident in 25 years, economy minister Yukio Edano said.
"I am certain that we are going to reduce nuclear power generation
but whether we are going to reduce it to zero is a separate issue,"
Edano, the economy, trade and industry minister told Reuters on the
sidelines of a ministerial meeting hosted by the International Energy
Agency in Paris.
Asked whether pulling out of nuclear was being considered, Edano said: "Yes, it is still under consideration."
Earlier Edano told a press briefing that Japan was working on
improving its energy efficiency and would promote the development of
renewable energy sources and of gas powered generation plants to make up
for lost nuclear output.
Japan's former prime minister Naoto Kan concluded in March that
nuclear power was no longer worth the risk after an earthquake and
tsunami crippled the Fukushima power plant.
