Abstract
The introduction of variable and distributed renewable energy into the energy system is an important approach for decarbonization and the transition to sustainable regions. The purpose of this study is to clarify the geographic distribution of renewable energy resources and energy demand in Japan, as well as the effectiveness of regional cooperation for the introduction of renewable energy. First, energy consumption, renewable energy potential, and generation costs were estimated for 1,741 municipalities. As a result, a maldistribution was revealed: the northeast of Japan has inexpensive and exportable resources, while the west of Japan has expensive and less than demanded resources. We also analyzed the energy self-sufficiency and fiscal capacity of each region, and found that about 95% of the municipalities are limited in their ability to implement their local energy policies individually. Then, we designed a cross-border region, taking into account the cooperation among municipalities with different characteristics. As a result, in the base case, 49 cross-border regions were formed by 284 municipalities, and 108 municipalities shifted to a sustainable state with sufficient renewable energy resources and financial capacity. Furthermore, it was found that 10.4% of the regional energy shortage could be eliminated through energy sharing.
