Risk of major power blackouts in Japan: minister

Japan faces the threat of major power blackouts unless electricity use is reduced, a government minister said Thursday in the aftermath of a massive earthquake and tsunami.

By Nuclear Power Daily Editorial Team · Editorial process

Published March 16, 2011

Japan faces the threat of major power blackouts unless electricity use is reduced, a government minister said Thursday in the aftermath of a massive earthquake and tsunami.

"The demand-supply balance is already very tight," Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda said in a statement.

"If this situation continues, demand will far exceed supply today from the evening to night when daily power demand peaks, and unpredictable major blackouts are feared," he said in a statement.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Sunday he had authorised managed outages to prevent any sudden major supply disruption, as electricity supply has fallen sharply since the quake-tsunami disaster hit power plants on Friday.

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Nuclear Power Daily Editorial Team

The Nuclear Power Daily Editorial Team produces content across our two editorial pillars: space industry news and Mind & Meaning. We cover launches, missions, satellites, defense, and the technology of getting humans to space, alongside the psychology of ambition, isolation, and meaning under extremes. Articles reflect our team's collective editorial process, source verification, drafting, technical review, and editing, rather than a single writer's work. Nuclear Power Daily takes editorial responsibility for content under this byline. For more on how we work, see our editorial policy.