2014 Volume 14 Pages 65-77
Starting in 2016, electric power retail and production were totally liberalized, and regulated rates are to be abolished between 2018 and 2020. Regulated rates have until now stabilized the operations of electric utilities, but their discontinuance will probably make it increasingly difficult for the electric utilities, which operate nuclear plants, to themselves undertake the business risks associated with nuclear power.
The government has therefore developed the following three risk-mitigation measures: (1) Provide policy measures which mitigate the business risks of nuclear power, (2) take measures by which the government shares the risks of reprocessing operations, and (3) reduce the risk of bearing nuclear accidents costs by, for example, reviewing the system for nuclear power damage compensation. In this paper we conceive this suite of measures as “business conditions enhancement doctrine,” and sketch an overall picture of it.
The purpose of business conditions enhancement doctrine is to create policy measures that mitigate the risks and costs of nuclear plant operators, and make the citizens and electric power consumers (as well as future accident victims) shoulder them, in order to maintain nuclear power even after completely reforming the electric power system.
Is it worthwhile to continue nuclear power operations while creating a series of special policy measures such as those described in this paper? Is it alright to relieve nuclear power operators of risks and costs, and shift them to the citizens and electric power consumers? It is necessary to revisit these questions when shaping post-accident nuclear power policy.
