Publication date: July 21, 2026 Japan Data Center Update 27: Data Center Decentralization Drives Nationwide Grid Investment Japan’s major utilities to add 15 GW of substation capacity amid data center demand growth Eight major utilities, including TEPCO, will strengthen transmission infrastructure by constructing or expanding substations at 30 locations nationwide to accommodate growing data center …
Publication date: July 20, 2026 Japan to Launch First Off-Site Nuclear PPA Kansai Electric Power announced that it will sell electricity generated by existing nuclear power plants together with environmental certificates under an off-site PPA framework, which will be the first for Japan. Until now, off-site PPAs have mainly been focused on renewable energy sources …
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Five developments shaping Japan’s power market this month, from the government’s plan to replace up to 14 nuclear reactors to a surge in solar curtailment that nearly doubled in a single month. Nuclear status holds steady as Japan reveals a 14-reactor ambition No change in Japan’s nuclear operational status in May, but the Japanese government …
Publication date: July 16, 2026 The Okhotsk Story: What Happened to the Hot Summer? What happened Every major forecaster predicted a hot summer. Instead, June was the coolest in the Reiwa era, the coldest since 2012. Tokyo had just 2 days above 30°C (same as Sapporo). Average temperature was 21.5°C, which was lower than in …
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Publication date: July 15, 2026 Japan Data Center Update 26: Kyushu Emerges as Data Center and Related Manufacturing Hub Partial construction of the 350 MW data center project in Satsumasendai to start FY2026 Satsumasendai City has disclosed the schedule for one of Japan’s largest planned data centers, a 350 MW project in Satsumasendai City, Kagoshima …
Publication date: July 10, 2026 LTDA To Better Reflect Rising Costs From 2027 The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has held an expert meeting to discuss the new framework for the fourth round of the Long-Term Decarbonized Power Source Auction (LTDA), scheduled for next January (see our previous newsletter for the FY2026 third-round …
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Publication date: July 7, 2026 Japan Data Center Update 25: Regulatory Easing and Utility Coordination Shape Japan’s AI Data Center Investment Shikoku Electric strengthens organization to attract data centers across four prefectures Shikoku Electric Power announced that it will strengthen its organization to attract data centers to the four prefectures of Shikoku. The company has …
Publication date: July 6, 2026 TEPCO Restructuring to Include SoftBank and Global Funds as Potential Partners According to Nikkei, Tokyo Electricity Power Company (TEPCO) Holdings is advancing negotiations on an equity partnership centered on five potential partners. In addition to Japan-based SoftBank and Japan Industrial Partners (JIP), a domestic investment fund, three foreign fund groups …
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Publication date: July 1, 2026 Key Takeaways Japan has set concrete targets for its nuclear power policy, but its nuclear revival faces four major challenges: nuclear waste management, gaining local consensus, high investment costs, and securing human resources. Despite these challenges, Japan will push forward with nuclear development in the coming decades. Japan’s Nuclear Revival …
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Publication date: June 30, 2026 Japan to Update Battery Industry Strategy With New Targets and Timelines Amid a global oversupply of batteries, Japan aims to differentiate its domestic production by focusing on high-value-added areas such as performance and safety, alongside next generation battery technology. In response to evolving conditions, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and …
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