A residential building in which all energy used is electricity. Traditionally, Japanese houses have generally been designed to use gas for cooking and hot water supply, and oil, gas or electricity for heating rooms. In an all-electric house, all these energy needs are supplied with electricity. Electric utilities are promoting all-electric houses by offering preferential discount rates. The advantages of an all-electric house include its safeness and cleanliness, as it does not require the use of fire within the residence.

A research institute jointly established in 1951 by nine electric utilities established in the same year. Headquartered in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, it is operated on the basis of contribution revenues from the nine utilities, J-Power and Japan Atomic Power Company, as well as revenues earned through commissioned research and other business activities. It has eight laboratories studying different fields. Its main research themes are technologies related to nuclear energy, stable power supply, and use of the environment and energy.

Chubu Electric Power, which is engaged in power generation, transmission and distribution comprehensively, was established in 1951 when the Japanese power industry was reformed. It is the third largest electric utility in Japan with about 16,000 employees. Headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, it serves the Chubu area, where Toyota Motors’ headquarters is also located. Its annual electricity sale in fiscal 2008 was 129.7 TWh. The utility operates the Hamaoka nuclear power station, where units 1 and 2 that started commercial operation in the 1970s were permanently shut down in January 2009. Construction of unit 6 as a replacement reactor is being planned.

Chugoku Electric Power, which is engaged in power generation, transmission and distribution comprehensively, was established in 1951 when the Japanese power industry was reformed. Headquartered in Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, the utility serves the Chugoku area. Its annual electricity sale in fiscal 2008 was 61.2 TWh. It operates the Shimane nuclear power station, where unit 3 is under construction and expected to start commercial operation in December 2011. The company has plans to construct a new nuclear power station in Kaminoseki, with start of commercial operation envisaged in 2018 and 2019 for units 1 and 2, respectively.

A nickname created by Japanese electric utilities and electric appliance manufacturers for a household electric water heating and supply system. Instead of using a water heater, Eco Cute supplies hot water by using a compressor to compress and decompress a refrigerant to collect heat from the atmosphere. It uses carbon dioxide as a refrigerant. Eco Cute is one of the core systems of an all-electric house with a favorable effect in reducing household energy consumption. The cumulative domestic shipments of Eco Cute had exceeded two million units by the end of October 2009.

An industry organization consisting of ten electric utilities that serve different regions of Japan. It was inaugurated in November 1952 in succession to a chamber consisting of electric utility executives that was established for dealing with labor unions after World War II. The federation originally consisted of nine major utilities and then incorporated Okinawa Electric Power in 2000. The chair of the federation has been assumed by chairmen or presidents of Tokyo Electric Power, Kansai Electric Power, and Chubu Electric Power.

Hokkaido Electric Power, which is engaged in power generation, transmission and distribution comprehensively, was established in 1951 when the Japanese power industry was reformed. Headquartered in Sapporo, it serves the Hokkaido area, the northernmost part of Japan. Because Hokkaido has a lot of snow in winter, the utility has been diligent about preventing snow damage to its transmission and distribution systems. Its annual electricity sale in fiscal 2008 was 31.8 TWh. It operates the Tomari nuclear power station, where unit 3 started commercial operation in December 2009.

Hokuriku Electric Power, which is engaged in power generation, transmission and distribution comprehensively, was established in 1951 when the Japanese power industry was reformed. Headquartered in Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, the utility serves Toyama Prefecture, Ishikawa Prefecture, most of Fukui Prefecture and part of Gifu Prefecture. Its annual electricity sale in fiscal 2008 was 28.2 TWh. It operates the Shika nuclear power station, where unit 1 had been shut down for about two years since March 2007 after discovery of a concealed criticality accident. The company is making utmost efforts to prevent recurrence of such events.

Spent fuel from nuclear power plants is temporarily stored after use for power generation until it is reprocessed. Japan’s nuclear power plants produce about 900 to 1,000 tons of spent fuel annually while the capacity of the reprocessing plant being constructed is 800 tons per year. Thus, spent fuel will accumulate annually under these conditions. The onsite spent fuel storage at power plants is limited in space, so that offsite interim storage will be required. Currently, Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. and the Japan Atomic Power Co. are building the Recyclable Fuel Storage Center in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, which will be the first domestic interim storage facility.

The International Nuclear Energy Development of Japan Co., Ltd. (JINED) is a joint-stock company established in Japan in October 2010 by a total of 13 companies, consisting of nine electric utilities, three nuclear plant manufacturers (i.e., Toshiba Corporation; Hitachi, Ltd.; and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.), and the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan, an investment fund resting on public and private outlays. The JINED’s role is to package proposals drafted by Japanese companies and present them to countries considering construction of their first nuclear power stations. The Japanese government also supports the company’s activities through steps such as the conclusion of agreements for nuclear cooperation with such countries and fuller provisions for trade insurance. The JINED’s establishment grew out of the realization that decisive action had to be taken after Japanese concerns failed to win contracts related to nuclear construction in the United Arab Emirates and the initial project in Vietnam from late 2009 to early 2010.

A wholesale nuclear power company established in 1957 and headquartered in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. It built and operated the first commercial nuclear power plant in Japan, the Tokai power station, which terminated commercial operation in March 1998 and is being decommissioned. The company is supplying electricity produced at Tokai unit 2 as well as Tsuruga units 1 and 2 to five utilities. It plans to construct Tsuruga-3 and -4 as additional units, with their expected start of operation in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

A company that deals with fuel used at nuclear power plants and waste generated from them. At Rokkasho Village, it conducts uranium enrichment, emplacement of low-level radioactive waste, reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, temporary storage of high-level radioactive waste, and production of uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. Completion of the company’s reprocessing plant has been delayed by a succession of problems. The plant is now under test operation with its target date of completion in October 2010.

The largest wholesale electric power company in Japan headquartered in Chuo Ward, Tokyo. It has 67 power stations with a gross output of about 16,980 MW and transmission lines with a total length of 2,400 km within the country as of July 2009. The company supplies electricity to the ten utilities serving different regions of Japan and transmits electricity on behalf of the nine utilities excluding Okinawa Electric Power. J-Power also runs consultation and power generation operations overseas. It was established in 1952 as a special public corporation supported mainly by government funds and was privatized in 2004. It is now constructing the Ohma nuclear power station.

A nuclear power station operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), located straddling Kashiwazaki City and Kariwa Village in Niigata Prefecture. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa has seven reactors with a combined capacity of 8,212 MW, which is the largest output of any single power station in the world. In July 2007, all seven units had to be shut down after being damaged by the Niigata-ken Chuetsu-oki Earthquake. This event forced TEPCO to post deficits. After undergoing inspections and restoration work, unit 7 resumed operation in December 2009, followed by unit 6 in January 2010.

Kansai Electric Power, which is engaged in power generation, transmission and distribution comprehensively, was established in 1951 when the Japanese power industry was reformed. It is the second largest electric utility in Japan with about 22,000 employees. Headquartered in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, the utility serves mainly the Kansai area. Its annual electricity sale in fiscal 2008 was 145.9 TWh. It operates the Mihama, Ohi and Takahama nuclear power stations. With its high percentage of nuclear power in gross generation, the company is characterized by a low carbon dioxide emission factor (CO2 emission per kWh).

Kyushu Electric Power, which is engaged in power generation, transmission and distribution comprehensively, was established in 1951 when the Japanese power industry was reformed. Headquartered in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, the utility serves the Kyushu area. Its annual electricity sale in fiscal 2008 was 85.9 TWh. It operates the Genkai and Sendai nuclear power stations. In 2009, Genkai unit 3 started to use uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel for the first time in Japan. In Sendai, construction of unit 3 as an additional reactor is being planned with its start of commercial operation envisaged in 2019.

A prototype reactor developed with the aim of commercializing fast-breeder reactors. Monju is located in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture. During its test operation in 1995, the reactor experienced an accidental leakage of metal sodium coolant resulting in a fire. The delay in action and subsequent cover-up by concerned officials sparked public outrage, and Monju has been suspended since then. From 2005 to 2007, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency performed construction work to modify the reactor with a view to resuming its operation. Procedures for the resumption of operation are currently in their final phase.

Okinawa Electric Power, which is engaged in power generation, transmission and distribution comprehensively, was established in 1972 as a utility succeeding Ryukyu Electric Power Corporation when Okinawa was returned to Japan from the United States. Headquartered in Urazoe, the utility serves Okinawa Prefecture, which consists of about 160 islands situated in the southwesternmost pat of Japan. It supplies electricity to about 40 inhabited islands. Its annual electricity sale in fiscal 2008 was 7.5 TWh.

Production of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel by recovering plutonium from spent light water reactor fuel and combining it with uranium for reuse in nuclear power plants is called “pluthermal” in Japan. The term was coined by combining “plutonium” and “thermal reactor (light water reactor).” Japan’s electric power industry is seeking to implement pluthermal programs at 16 to 18 reactors throughout Japan by 2015. For existing nuclear reactors, about one third of the fuel load will be MOX fuel. The new Ohma nuclear power plant being constructed by J-Power would be “full MOX” with all of its fuel being MOX fuel.

A village located along the Pacific Ocean coastline at the base of Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture. The village has an approximate area of 253 km2 and a population of about 11,000. Cooperating with the Japanese government on its energy policy, Rokkasho Village accepted the construction of nuclear-related facilities including a reprocessing plant for spent nuclear fuel. The village is also a center for many other energy facilities such as a national oil storage base and wind power generation facilities. Rokkasho Village had launched a bid to host the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), but lost out to Cadarache, France.

Shikoku Electric Power, which is engaged in power generation, transmission and distribution comprehensively, was established in 1951 when the Japanese power industry was reformed. Headquartered in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, the utility serves the Shikoku area. Its annual electricity sale in fiscal 2008 was 34.8 TWh. It operates the Ikata nuclear power station. It has recently adopted plans to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel for thermal power generation, and started to use an LNG receiving terminal in Sakaide, Kagawa Prefecture in March 2010.

Tohoku Electric Power, which is engaged in power generation, transmission and distribution comprehensively, was established in 1951 when the Japanese power industry was reformed. Headquartered in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, it serves the Tohoku area and Niigata Prefecture. Its annual electricity sale in fiscal 2008 was 81.1 TWh, ranked fourth among the Japanese utilities after Tokyo Electric Power, Kansai Electric Power and Chubu Electric Power. It operates the Higashidori and Onagawa nuclear power stations. All the three nuclear power stations of Tokyo Electric Power are located in the service area of Tohoku Electric Power.

Tokyo Electric Power, which is engaged in power generation, transmission and distribution comprehensively, is the largest utility in Japan with about 38,000 employees. It was established in 1951 when the Japanese power industry was reformed. Headquartered in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, it serves the Kanto area, where the capital of Japan is located. The utility’s annual electricity sale in fiscal 2008 was 289 TWh. It operates three nuclear power stations. Its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station was damaged by a great earthquake in July 2007, and the station’s all reactors — units 1 to 7 — were shut down. As a result, the company fell into the red in fiscal years 2007 and 2008.