A draft of the basic energy plan, which will revise Japan’s energy policy, will be published on December 17.

The policy is set to maximize the use of nuclear and renewable energy as decarbonized power sources.

The focus of the draft sets out a future energy mix, in which renewable energy sources will be around 40-50%, thermal power generation around 30%-40% and nuclear power generation around 20% by fiscal 2040.

For the first time, renewable energy is clearly positioned as the largest power source.

For nuclear power, the wording ‘reduce dependence as much as possible’, which has been consistently included since the Great East Japan Earthquake, has been deleted.

The draft also includes relaxing conditions for rebuilding nuclear power plants that have been decommissioned, allowing them to be rebuilt ‘off-site’ if they are owned by the same power company.