Japan Restarts Two of Its 50 Nuclear Reactors

Darth_brooks writes "Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda ordered the restart of two idle nuclear reactors Saturday, amid split public response. The Japanese government is trying to fill a summer power shortfall. According to the article, the two reactors supply power to the Kansai region near Osaka, where local officials were predicting a 15% shortfall in power capacity during July and August."

Comments

Shortages are a solved problem.

[Ichijo]

There's another way to fix the shortfall: simply raise the price of peak hour electricity until demand falls to the level of supply. We've known for hundreds of years that prices set below the going rate determined by supply and demand is the cause of shortages.

The increased peak hour revenue could be used to lower off-peak electricity prices so that people pay on average the same as before.

Re:not actually that unpopular locally

[Kalidor]

Agreed. I also like how 32% opposed to the restart, and 38% with no opinions in public polls (numbers in the the same NHK feed they sourced) is "widespread public opposition".