Renewables requirement on the rise in Japan

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has confirmed it is in discussions to raise the renewables requirement in electricity supply portfolios. According to the Nihon Keizai financial daily, the figure being discussed is 1.5-2% by 2014, up from today's 1.35% by 2010. A METI official denies this is the case, saying no decision has yet been made. Talks will continue until the end of this financial year, he adds. As of 2004, the latest figure available, just 0.5% of Japan's electricity was generated from renewable energy sources. A new target would be in line with the country's Special Measures Law Concerning the Use of New Energy by Electric Utilities, the official says.