Kepco under fire for power threat via The Japan Times

By ERIC JOHNSTON
Staff writer
OSAKA — Kansai Electric Power Co. is still drawing fire for asking local governments and businesses to cut power use 15 percent this summer to help it cope with the shutdown of four nuclear reactors for inspections.

The criticism began June 10, when Kepco announced that demand for electricity would probably exceed supply — especially in August — and that a 15 percent cut in power use by governments, businesses and individuals was needed to prevent large blackouts in the region.

Citing a lack of clear evidence for the figure, Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto announced that the prefecture would not cooperate with Kepco. Since then, other Kansai governors have demanded Kepco provide a better explanation for how it arrived at the number, even as others began announcing ways they would attempt to save electricity.

Kepco under fire for power threat