Publication date: March 30, 2026 METI Further Clarifies Key Elements of the Retailer Obligation Framework In our previous newsletter, Japan’s Power Market News Week 7, we noted that the Working Group (WG) on System Design Based on the Review of Power System Reforms would further examine key design issues regarding the planned retailer’s obligation to …
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Publication date: March 17, 2026 Japanese Futures Jump to Record Levels Amid Middle East Tensions The outbreak of war in the Middle East has triggered a sharp increase in prices and trading volumes of Japanese electricity futures on the European Energy eXchange (EEX). On March 3, trading volume reached 4,905 GWh, significantly surpassing the previous …
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Publication date: March 7, 2026 METI Moves to Tighten Oversight of Electricity Markets METI plans to expand its supervisory scope over electricity markets to enable it to ensure operational improvements in the Balancing Market and the planned Mid-Long Term Market,with the aim of promoting sound market operation, increasing participation, and stimulating market activity. The proposed …
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Publication date: Feb 24, 2026 Power Futures Trading Climbs to 96% of Spot Volumes In January 2026, trading volumes in Japan’s electricity futures market nearly matched the size of the spot market. The combined futures trading volume of the European Energy eXchange (EEX) and the Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) under Japan Exchange Group (JPX) reached …
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Publication date: Dec 22, 2025 Year in review 2025 (Dec 2025) Policy Proposed advanced procurement and Mid-Long Term Market to reshape retailer risk In July, METI’s Working Group proposed a new requirement for electricity retailers to secure a certain proportion of their future electricity supply volume (in kWh) in advance, with the aim of stabilizing …
Publication date: Dec 9, 2025 Prices Hit Cap in Second FY2025 NFC Auction as Non-FIT Volumes Rise The Japan Electric Power Exchange (JEPX) has released the results of the second-round of the Non-Fossil Value Trading Market (or Non-Fossil Certificate (NFC) Auction) for FY2025. Prices for Non-FIT (Feed-in-Tariff) NFCs, both certificates “without renewable energy designation”, mainly …
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Publication date: Nov 3, 2025 Strategic Procurement in Japan: Managing Risk Beyond the Basics Japan’s electricity market stability was tested during the 2021–2022 global energy crisis, when LNG import prices surged 300% year-over-year and exposed the vulnerability of relying solely on traditional retail contracts. For industrial consumers, effective risk management has evolved from a back-office …
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Publication date: Oct 28, 2025 Mid-Long Term Market to Adopt Continuous Trading for One-Year Delivery Mid-Long Term Market to Adopt Continuous Trading for One-Year Delivery The Working Group (WG) on System Design based on the Review of Power System Reforms has been discussing the institutional design of Japan’s Mid-Long Term Market. The following are the …
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Publication date: Oct 16, 2025 Powering Through Winter: Japan’s 2025-26 Winter Weather Forecast Powering Through Winter: Japan’s 2025-26 Winter Weather Forecast Japan registered the hottest summer in history this year, surpassing the previous records in 2023 and 2024 (Nikkei). As Japan transitions from an eventful 2025 summer, we look ahead to winter and explore what …
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Publication date: Oct 7, 2025 Japan’s new leader to make nuclear center of energy strategy Japan’s New Leader to Make Nuclear Center of Energy Strategy Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi was elected on Saturday as the first female president of the Liberal Democratic Party and is now set to become Japan’s first female prime …
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