Publication date: May 1, 2026 METI Addresses Demand Growth and Supply Security in Power Market Reforms Rising energy demand, driven by data center expansion, is increasingly driving power market conditions in Japan, while growing renewable capacity is reshaping supply dynamics. To grapple with the changing energy market, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) …
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Publication date: April 28, 2026 Japan Data Center Update 16: The Businesses Powering Japan’s Data Center Expansion Yanmar to Build Backup Generator Plant in Kitakyushu as Data Center Cluster Potential Grows Yanmar Holdings (HD) will launch a new plant in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, in 2028 to manufacture large-capacity backup generators for data centers. Yanmar …
Publication date: April 27, 2026 J-POWER and Mizuho Complete Hourly Matching Pilot Ahead of GHG Protocol Revision J-POWER, Mizuho Bank, and three other companies announced the successful completion of a pilot project demonstrating “hourly matching,” which verifies that renewable electricity generation and consumption are aligned on an hourly basis(the matched volume was not disclosed). Specifically, …
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Publication date: April 21, 2026 Japan Data Center Update 15: Tokyo and Kansai Expansion Gains Pace as Edge Data Centers Emerge JFE and Mitsubishi to Develop Integrated Power Plant and Data Center Hub in Keihin Ogishima, Kanagawa JFE Holdings, one of Japan’s leading steelmakers, and Mitsubishi Corporation jointly announced that the companies will develop an …
Publication date: April 21, 2026 METI to Limit Grid Connection Study Applications by Region to Manage Surge in BESS The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)’s expert committee has recently decided to introduce a cap on the number of grid connection study applications per operator for grid-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS). The cap …
Publication date: April 14, 2026 Japan Data Center Update 14: Data Center Expansion Accelerates as Large-Scale Investment, Decentralization, and Local Constraints Collide Microsoft to Invest USD 10 Billion in Japan Data Centers to Expand AI Infrastructure Microsoft announced it will invest USD 10 billion over four years in data centers and related infrastructure in Japan. …
Publication date: April 14, 2026 METI to Set Up Three WGs to Rewire Market Design, Capacity Mechanisms, and Retail Obligations in Parallel The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) announced at the Next Generation Infrastructure Development Subcommittee that it will establish three new working groups (WGs) related to power system reform. The Power Supply …
Publication date: April 7, 2026 Japan Data Center Update 13: New Data Center Models Emerge as Land, Cooling, and Grid Constraints Tighten MOL, Hitachi Target Floating Data Centers to Ease Urban Deployment Bottlenecks Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Hitachi, and Hitachi Systems have signed a basic agreement to jointly develop a “floating data center” by converting …
Publication date: April 7, 2026 JEPX System Upgrades: Shift to API-Based Trading Reshapes Market Access JEPX will begin rolling out its upgraded trading system from April 2026, with a phased transition across spot and intraday markets extending through FY2026. The key change lies in the migration from browser-based trading to API (Application Programming Interface) -driven …
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Publication date: April 2, 2026 Japan’s Renewable Transition: Progress and Challenges Since the 7th Strategic Energy Plan The Middle East situation has once again exposed Japan’s dependence on imported fuels and reminds us of the importance of increasing energy self-sufficiency, currently at around 15% (Nikkei). The 7th Strategic Energy Plan (7th SEP), published by the …
