But the RPS law has not been effective to increase wind power because electric power companies are negative about such power generation. "Output is unstable because it depends on wind, obstructing stable power supplies," said an executive at a power company.
But the RPS law has not been effective to increase wind power because electric power companies are negative about such power generation. "Output is unstable because it depends on wind, obstructing stable power supplies," said an executive at a power company.
Increases in the generation of wind power, introduced nationwide as an environment-friendly energy, are hitting a snag as enterprises are reluctant to do the business because electric power companies are negative to buy such power.
The government has fixed the target of wind power generation at 3 million kilowatts in 2010, but industry sources said the target is unlikely to be achieved.
The Global Wind Power Energy Council, headquartered in Belgium, said Japan's wind power generation topped the 1 million kW level at the end of fiscal 2005 to become the world's 10th largest at 1.08 million kW.
Windmills installed chiefly at coastal areas in Hokkaido, the Tohoku region and Kyushu where wind is strong total more than 1,000.
Although …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]Increases in the generation of wind power, introduced nationwide as an environment-friendly energy, are hitting a snag as enterprises are reluctant to do the business because electric power companies are negative to buy such power.
The government has fixed the target of wind power generation at 3 million kilowatts in 2010, but industry sources said the target is unlikely to be achieved.
The Global Wind Power Energy Council, headquartered in Belgium, said Japan's wind power generation topped the 1 million kW level at the end of fiscal 2005 to become the world's 10th largest at 1.08 million kW.
Windmills installed chiefly at coastal areas in Hokkaido, the Tohoku region and Kyushu where wind is strong total more than 1,000.
Although several hundred millions of yen are required to install a windmill, not only enterprises and local governments but also private investors have increasingly installed such mills because power generation efficiency has been upped with technological progress and wind power has attracted attention as no carbon dioxide has been emitted.
The forerunner is the nonprofit organization Hokkaido Green Fund of Sapporo which built the windmill called "Hamakaze (beach wind)-chan," with an output capacity of about 1,000 kW in the town of Hamatombetsu, Hokkaido, in 2001.
Its members set up a company in Tokyo called the Natural Energy Citizens' Fund in 2003, which has installed four mills in Hokkaido, Aomori and Akita prefectures. Five others are being built in four other prefectures, including Ibaraki and Chiba.
To promote the introduction of natural energy, the government also implemented the Renewable Portfolio Standards, or RPS, law, a new energy measure, in 2003, to oblige electric power companies to achieve the legally fixed target of natural energy generation.
But the RPS law has not been effective to increase wind power because electric power companies are negative about such power generation. "Output is unstable because it depends on wind, obstructing stable power supplies," said an executive at a power company.
As the obligatory target of natural energy generation as a whole has been fixed low at 1.35% of the total electric power supply, it has become possible for power companies to achieve the target with other natural energy, such as garbage power generation.
By fiscal 2005, Hokkaido and Tohoku electric power companies had suspended fresh purchases of electricity. Green Fund Secretary General Toru Suzuki said, "We actually wanted to expand the business in Hokkaido which is suited to wind power generation, but we have had to do the business in other areas."
Up to fiscal 2004, the scale of domestic wind power generation had increased more than 30% annually, but it was a 15% increase in fiscal 2005 over the year earlier.
Kazuhiko Takada, deputy secretary general of the National Council of Wind Power Generation in Cities, Towns and Villages in Hokkaido's Tomamae town where there are 42 windmills, said, "The windmills are largely contributing to regional promotion, such as increases in tax revenues and tourists. We want large increases in the volume electric power companies are obliged to buy to promote increases in wind power generation."