Shulman Advisory

METI Further Clarifies Key Elements of the Retailer Obligation Framework

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 …

TEPCO to Include Faster Fuel Cost Pass-Through in Corporate Tariffs From April

Publication date: March 21, 2026 TEPCO to Include Faster Fuel Cost Pass-Through in Corporate Tariffs From April TEPCO will revise its tariff for corporate customers (super high-voltage and high-voltage) from April onward. Currently, the average fuel price from three to five months prior to the month of use is reflected in corporate electricity tariffs. However, …

Japanese Futures Jump to Record Levels Amid Middle East Tensions

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 …

Year in review 2025 (Dec 2025)

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 …

The Role of LNG in Japan’s Energy Transition and Upcoming GX-ETS Impacts

Publication date: Dec 1, 2025  The Role of LNG in Japan’s Energy Transition and Upcoming GX-ETS Impacts Despite the Japanese government’s recent push to significantly increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix, Japan still relies heavily on thermal power (natural gas, coal, and oil) for about 70% of total generation. Among the …

Mid-Long Term Market to Adopt Continuous Trading for One-Year Delivery

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 …

Powering Through Winter: Japan’s 2025-26 Winter Weather Forecast

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 …

Japan’s New Leader to Make Nuclear Center of Energy Strategy

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 …

Activating Flexibility: Growing Aggregator Business and Market Outlook

Publication date: Oct 1, 2025 Activating Flexibility: Growing Aggregator Business and Market Outlook Activating Flexibility: Growing Aggregator Business and Market Outlook Since the introduction of the “Designated Wholesale Supply Business Operator System” (commonly referred to as the aggregator system) in April 2022, the aggregation business has expanded rapidly in Japan. An aggregator is a business …

Japan’s Simultaneous Market: The Power Trading Shift Coming After 2028

Publication date: Sept 11, 2025 Japan Moves to Develop Hydrogen and Ammonia Supply Chains Japan’s Simultaneous Market: The Power Trading Shift Coming After 2028 METI’s co-optimization framework aims to reshape electricity trading dynamics and create new opportunities for international market participants. Japan’s electricity market may soon undergo one of its most significant structural transformations since …