Publication date: August 4, 2026 Key Takeaways Japan’s BESS market continues to expand, but its policy environment is becoming more demanding, with new domestic battery manufacturing targets, tighter grid connection procedures, and lower Balancing Market price caps. As the market matures, project viability will depend less on exceptional balancing revenues and more on securing grid …
Publication date: Aug 3, 2026 Amended EBA allows METI oversight of Balancing and planned Mid-Long Term markets The amended Electricity Business Act (EBA) was officially passed by the House of Councilors on July 17th, 2026, and will come into effect in September. The amended EBA’s main provisions are as follows: The Act establishes a financing …
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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 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 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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Publication date: June 23, 2026 METI Outlines Plan to Replace Up to 14 Nuclear Reactors by the 2050s The advisory body meeting of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has revealed a target to replace up to five nuclear reactors by the 2040s and a total of 11 to 14 reactors by the …
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Publication date: June 2, 2026 BESS Integration Accelerates Across FIP Renewables and Thermal Power Plants As the global energy crisis persists and Japan faces growing pressure to balance its carbon-neutral agenda with energy supply security, battery energy storage systems (BESS) are increasingly being deployed not only alongside renewable energy assets, but also at conventional power …
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Publication date: May 19, 2026 METI Selects 38 Candidate GX Strategic Zones for Final Approval This Summer The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) selected promising zones under its GX Strategic Zone System, which aims to promote integrated development of decarbonized power and telecommunications infrastructure (‘watt-bit’ integration). A total of 38 zones were chosen …
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Publication date: May 13, 2026 Japan Data Center Update 17: Utsunomiya Tender, TEPCO PG Aiming to Halve Connection Lead Time, and Tighter Capacity Rules Utsunomiya Becomes Japan’s First City to Launch a Public Tender for Data Center Development Nikkei reported that Utsunomiya will become the first city in Japan to launch a public tender to …
