Japan Urges Residents And Businesses To Cut Down On Electricity Consumption To Prevent Blackout In Tokyo

The Japanese government today (Jun 27) urged residents and commercial establishments to cut down on electricity consumption, saying that lack of power generation capabilities to meet surging demand risked plunging capital Tokyo in to a blackout.

Japan is experience a heat wave. Temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) are forecast in Tokyo throughout today, and the mercury is not expected to drop below 34 until Sunday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The economy and industry ministry urged people living in the region serviced by the Tokyo Electric Power Co. to conserve power in the afternoons, especially when demand peaks at 4-5 p.m.

"Electricity demand has been staying above yesterday's forecast since this morning, amid unseasonably intense heat," an official of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry told a news conference on Sunday, adding that demand had outstripped predictions.

Ministry officials had warned reserve generating capacity would drop as low as 3.7 per cent, close to a minimum of 3 per cent that ensures stable supply, from 4.30pm to 5pm (3.30pm to 4.30pm, Singapore time) on Monday in Tokyo and eight surrounding prefectures. Below 3 per cent risks power shortages and blackouts.

“We encourage people to cut back on energy use to a reasonable degree,” deputy chief cabinet secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki told a news conference today. He requested for steps like turning off lights not in use, limiting use of air conditioners and guarding against the risk of heat stroke.

Japan's power supply has been tepid amid a slow restart of its nuclear power plants following Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 and a series of closures of aging thermal power plants in part to meet its goal to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The country also faces a risk of fossil fuels shortage due to possible supply disruption of fuels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and sweeping sanctions on Moscow by the West.