Publication date: Sept 4, 2026 METI Outlines License Revocation Procedure for Dormant Electricity Retailers Following the July 2026 amendments to the Electricity Business Act, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will be able to revoke a retail license if, without a justifiable reason, the retailer (i) fails to commence its retail electricity business …
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Publication date: Sept 4, 2026 ENEOS 431 MW Negishi Plant Closure Highlights Challenge of Replacing Thermal Plants According to Bloomberg, ENEOS Holdings will permanently close its 431 MW oil-fired integrated gasification combined-cycle plant at the Negishi refinery in Yokohama on September 1, citing JEPX data published a year ago. An ENEOS spokesperson confirmed the closure …
Publication date: Sept 4, 2026 PPA Market Expands as Buyers Increasingly Eye GHG Protocol Revision As corporate interest in PPAs grows, private matching platforms are emerging as an additional procurement channel. Digital Grid’s off-site PPA matching platform, RE Bridge, recently announced the results of its eighth matching event. For generators and offtakers that successfully entered …
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Publication date: Sept 1, 2026 Key Takeaways Japan is moving toward longer-term electricity procurement, with proposed obligations requiring retailers to secure 50% of expected demand three years ahead and 70% one year ahead. A new Mid-Long Term Market is expected to begin in FY2028 to support this shift. Retailers will be able to meet these …
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Publication date: Aug 10, 2026 Tighter Grid Connection Rules for Low-Voltage BESS and Large-Scale Demand The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) presented plans at an expert meeting to extend stricter grid connection rules to low-voltage grid-scale BESS facilities. METI has already introduced measures for generation facilities, including BESS facilities connected at high voltage …
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Publication date: Aug 10, 2026 JEPX Spot Price Hits Three-and-a-Half-Year High Despite Adequate Summer Reserves Despite record-breaking heat this summer so far, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has refrained from issuing electricity conservation requests as reserve margins from July through September are expected to remain above the 3% minimum required for stable …
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Publication date: July 24, 2026 Balancing Market Price Caps Are Lowered to JPY 10/ΔkW-30 Min from September The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) presented a policy at the Power Supply Stability Working Group (WG) to lower the price caps for certain products in the balancing market. For Frequency Containment Reserve (FCR, or Primary), …
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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 …
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 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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