Hokkaido top leader in alternative power generation

August 27, 2017

TOKYO- Hokkaido is the top leader among Japan's 47 prefectures in power generation using alternative sources such as solar energy, Natural Resources and Energy Agency data have shown.

In fiscal 2016, a total of 28,418 million kilowatt-hours of electricity was produced nationwide from the five alternative sources, also including wind, geothermal, biomass and waste-to-energy power generation.

The sum is large enough to cover the annual amount of electricity consumed by 9.5 million households.

The agency started taking alternative power output data in fiscal 2016, when the power retail market was fully liberalized. The agency also compiled prefecture-by-prefecture statistics.

Hokkaido in northern Japan accounted for nearly 10 pct of the total, generating 2,719.75 million kilowatt-hours. Among the 47 prefectures, it was the top leader in solar power generation and second in wind and biomass power generation.

In the overall alternative power output rankings, Ehime was second with 1,874.87 million kilowatt-hours. The western Japan prefecture, known for its strong paper-pulp industry, beat all other prefectures in biomass power generation.

Oita in southwestern Japan ranked third with 1,658.14 million kilowatt-hours. It was the country's top leader in geothermal power generation.

When the conventional source of hydropower is taken into account, Toyama, rich in water resources, topped the list of renewable energy power output by prefecture. Its amount totaled 8,846.64 million kilowatt-hours.

It was followed by Gifu, also strong in hydropower generation, with 8,404.07 million kilowatt-hours and Hokkaido with 8,247.74 million kilowatt-hours.

Power generation from renewable energy sources "have increased steadily," Nagoya University Prof. Yukari Takamura said.

The growth will "accelerate further if incentives to lower power generation costs are provided, such as measures to make it easier for power industry newcomers to get hooked up with the power transmission systems of conventional big power suppliers," she also said. Jiji Press