Fukushima Reinvented With New Energy

Fukushima reinvents itself with a $2.7 billion bet on renewables; As the nuclear debate continues, the site of a nuclear disaster attempts to move on

Justine Calma, November 12, 2019 (The Verge)

“The site of the most recent high-profile nuclear disaster is reinventing itself as a renewable energy leader in Japan. Land that became too toxic for people to farm and live on after the 2011 [9.0 magnitude earthquake and] meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station will soon be dotted with windmills and solar panels…By 2024, 11 solar and 10 wind power plants on abandoned land in Fukushima Prefecture will generate 600 megawatts, which is roughly two-thirds of the energy output of a typical nuclear plant…[A] 2017 prefecture survey found that 54 percent of residents wanted renewable energy, compared to 14 percent who didn’t…[The shift is backed by] $2.75 billion in financing from groups including the Development Bank of Japan (which is government-owned) and Mizuho Bank (privately owned).

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…A new power grid will connect to the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s transmission lines …Fukushima’s transition from nuclear energy to solar and wind comes as policymakers and scientists around the world debate the role of nuclear energy in efforts to stop the climate crisis. Some look to nuclear energy as an important way to generate energy without burning planet-heating fossil fuels…[But there are more than 1 million tons of water contaminated with radioactive material at the nuclear plant site that officials are still unsure what to do with, and despite advances in nuclear technology,] others are still concerned about the risks associated with nuclear power… [In 2014, Fukushima] set a goal of meeting all of its energy needs with 100 percent renewables by 2040…” click here for more

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