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 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: June 5, 2026 OCCTO Awards 7.3 GW in Latest LTDA Round, With BESS Competition Easing The Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators (OCCTO) has announced the results of the third round of the Long-Term Decarbonized Power Source Auction (LTDA). Total bidding volume reached 10.856 GW, of which 7.299 GW was awarded. The …
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Publication date: May 1, 2026 METI Addresses Demand Growth and Supply Security in Power Market Reforms Rising energy demand, driven by data center expansion, is increasingly driving power market conditions in Japan, while growing renewable capacity is reshaping supply dynamics. To grapple with the changing energy market, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) …
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Publication date: April 21, 2026 METI to Limit Grid Connection Study Applications by Region to Manage Surge in BESS The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)’s expert committee has recently decided to introduce a cap on the number of grid connection study applications per operator for grid-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS). The cap …
Publication date: Feb 3, 2026 DC Update 3: On-Site Gas Cogeneration & AI Energy Savings Tokyo Gas subsidiary backs data centers with on-site gas cogeneration Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions (TGES), a subsidiary of Tokyo Gas, has begun supporting data center development by proposing on-site gas cogeneration systems that allow projects to start operations even in …
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