再生エネ発電 電気利用者に重いツケ回すな

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Oct. 27, 2012)
Don't overcharge users for feed-in tariff system
再生エネ発電　電気利用者に重いツケ回すな（10月26日付・読売社説）

Although it is definitely important to help spread the use of renewable energy such as solar and wind power, passing excessive fees for renewables on to companies and households should not be permissible.
　太陽光や風力など再生可能エネルギーの普及は大切だが、家計や企業に過大なコストを押しつけるようでは困る。

The "feed-in tariff system," under which power utilities are obliged to purchase electricity generated by renewable energy sources, was launched in July. The system has led to a sharp rise in the number of companies entering solar power and other renewable energy markets.
　再生エネで発電した電気の買い取りを電力会社に義務づける「固定価格買い取り制度」が７月にスタートし、太陽光発電などの参入が急増している。

The increase in the number of firms entering the renewables market is progressing quickly. In the three-month period to the end of September, the figure reached 70 percent of the government-set goal of expediting companies into the market.
９月末までの３か月で、今年度目標の７割に達するハイペースだ。

The feed-in tariff program has utilities pay above-market rates for electricity generated from renewable energy sources for up to 20 years.
　買い取り制は、再生エネで発電した電気を最長２０年間、通常より高い価格で電力会社が買う。

The idea of encouraging the use of renewable energy, in which it is possible to be domestically self-sufficient without discharging greenhouse gases, as a government policy is laudable.
温室効果ガスを出さず、国内自給できる再生エネの普及を、政策で後押しする狙いはいい。

The problem, however, is that the framework of the feed-in tariff system is designed to have the utilities' costs of purchasing renewables added to electricity charges paid by electricity users.
　問題なのは、買い取り費用が電気料金に上乗せされ、電気利用者が負担する仕組みである。

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Draw lessons from abroad

The current payments by utilities are 42 yen per kilowatt-hour for solar power and 23 yen for wind power, about double the rates in Germany, where the system has been in place longer.
　現行の買い取り価格は、太陽光が１キロ・ワット時あたり４２円、風力は２３円で、先行して導入されたドイツより約２倍も高い。

While the high margins may be highly attractive for new entrant firms, the fees paid by electricity users also become higher with the high margins.
　参入する会社にとって利幅の大きさは魅力だが、電気利用者の払うツケは重くなる。

We cannot help but feel the situation is not ideal for spreading the use of renewables. It is an urgent challenge for the government to find an appropriate balance between expanding renewables and user fees from a long-range point of view.
再生エネの普及が進んだなどと手放しで喜んではいられない。長期間に及ぶ利用者負担とのバランスを、どう取るかが課題だ。

Good lessons on this subject can be seen in examples of failures overseas.
　教訓とすべきは、海外の失敗例である。

In Germany, additional fees to electricity bills because of utilities' purchasing power from renewable sources are over 1,000 yen a month for an average household.
ドイツでは、再生エネの買い取りにあてる電気料金の上乗せ額が、標準家庭で月１０００円を超えている。

With the German renewable energy market rapidly progressing on inexpensive solar panels from China, purchasing costs have continued to increase.
　さらに、中国製の安い太陽光パネルを使った太陽光発電の参入が相次いでいるため、買い取り費用の増大が止まらない。

Under these circumstances, the German government is reportedly planning to increase the charges to be added to electricity bills. It is estimated the additional power charges levied on households will be in excess of 10,000 yen a year on average.
来年からは電気料金への上乗せ率を高める予定で、家庭の電気料金負担は、年１万円も増える見込みという。

German consumers have reacted strongly to the proposal, with one critic saying solar power generation should be deemed the "most costly mistake in the history of German environment policy."
　ドイツの消費者らは猛反発し、「太陽光発電は、環境政策の歴史で最も高くついた誤りだ」などという批判も出ている。

The increase in monthly fees due to the introduction of the feed-in tariff system in Japan is set at 87 yen for average households for this fiscal year.
　日本の買い取り制による今年度の電気料金上乗せ額は、標準家庭で月８７円だ。

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Never be too optimistic

The extra charges are not yet as high as in Germany. If power generation from renewables continues to increase with the high purchasing costs remaining unchanged, however, this country is bound to follow the same path as Germany.
ドイツほど高くないが、買い取り単価が高いまま再生エネ発電が増えれば、「ドイツの来た道」をたどりかねない。

The government should be vigilant enough not to allow a profit-first "renewable rush" to take place, and be flexible and efficient in reviewing purchasing prices of electricity from renewable sources.
　政府は利益目当ての「再生エネラッシュ」が起きないよう目を光らせ、買い取り価格を機動的に見直してもらいたい。

Expectations are high in Japan for positive effects on the economy resulting from the promotion of new industries through the spread of renewable energy.
　日本では再生エネ普及に伴う産業振興など、経済効果への期待も大きい。

In light of the German situation, there is no room to be overly optimistic.
だが、ドイツの例を見ると楽観は禁物だろう。

This is because a German company, which was ranked first in the world in solar panel production, went bankrupt in April because of heavy competition from Chinese rivals.
今年４月には、太陽光パネルで世界トップだった独企業が、中国企業との競争に敗れて倒産したからだ。

It is important for this country to carefully examine cases abroad and work out and implement necessary measures early in order not to duplicate the mistakes of Germany and others.
　こうした海外の事例を冷静に分析し、同じ轍(てつ)を踏まぬよう早めに手を打つことが肝要だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 26, 2012)
（2012年10月26日01時41分  読売新聞）