エネルギー計画 現実的な原発政策に練り直せ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Mar. 14, 2013)
Government should draw up realistic nuclear power policy
エネルギー計画　現実的な原発政策に練り直せ（3月13日付・読売社説）

The basic energy plan, which is a guideline for the government's electric power policy, must be changed to make it more realistic. We hope the government will restart discussions from scratch, as the previous administration led by the Democratic Party of Japan strayed off course on this matter.
　政府の電力政策の指針となるエネルギー基本計画を現実的な内容に改める必要がある。民主党政権で迷走した議論の仕切り直しに期待したい。

New members of the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry's Advisory Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will start discussions on the government's basic energy plan this week. The committee plans to compile revisions to the plan by the end of this year.
　経済産業省の総合資源エネルギー調査会は今週、新たなメンバーで論議を再開する。年内をめどに計画の見直し案を取りまとめる方針という。

The number of committee members was reduced from 25 to 15 by removing people advocating the abandonment of nuclear power, and others. This apparently is aimed at creating an environment to consolidate opinions in a constructive manner. The new members include Issei Nishikawa, governor of Fukui Prefecture, where nuclear power plants are located. It is appropriate to have a voice of the people from an area hosting nuclear power plants reflected in discussions.
　今回の調査会は、脱原発派を外すなどして、委員を２５人から１５人に減らした。建設的に意見集約する環境作りのためだろう。原発の立地する福井県の西川一誠知事らを加え、当事者の声を反映させる狙いも妥当だ。

How will nuclear power plants be utilized provided that their safety is ensured? It is vital to have practical discussions.
　安全の確保を前提に、原発をどのように活用するか。地に足の着いた議論が肝要である。

The existing basic energy plan was drawn up in 2010. It called for increasing the number of nuclear reactors by as many as 14 with the aim of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020.
　現行のエネルギー基本計画は２０１０年に策定された。温室効果ガスの「２５％削減」を視野に、原発を１４基も増やす内容だ。

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Impractical plans

Following the outbreak of the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in 2011, the Cabinet of then Prime Minister Naoto Kan began reviewing the plan. The committee held as many as 33 meetings over a yearlong period, but discussions wound up with opinions widely divided over the nation's ratio of nuclear power generation to total electricity output in the future.
　翌１１年の東京電力福島第一原発事故を受け、菅内閣が計画の見直しに着手した。約１年間に３３回も開いた会議は、将来の原発比率を巡る委員の意見が大きく分かれたまま、議論が打ち切られた。

A plan to abolish all nuclear power plants in the 2030s, which was suddenly compiled by the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, was not reflected in the previous review of the basic energy plan, thanks to the change of government last year.
　野田内閣が唐突にまとめた「３０年代に原発稼働ゼロ」の方針が基本計画に反映されなかったのは、政権交代の効用と言えよう。

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to reactivate idled nuclear reactors once their safety has been confirmed. The Abe administration needs to clarify how it defines the roles of nuclear power plants in the mid- and long term.
　安倍内閣は安全性の確認できた原発を再稼働する方針だ。原発の中長期的な役割を、どう位置づけるかが問われる。

Safety technology for nuclear power plants has made considerable headway. Replacing existing nuclear reactors with the latest models must be conducive to improvement in safety. It is indispensable to discuss revisions to the basic energy plan without eliminating options to renew current reactors or build new reactors.
　原発の安全技術は、かつてより大きく進歩している。最新型への切り替えは安全向上に資するはずだ。原発の更新・新設を排除せずに議論することが欠かせない。

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National wealth being drained

We also call on the government to resolve such problems as a nuclear fuel cycle policy and final disposal of nuclear waste.
　核燃料サイクル政策や放射性廃棄物の最終処分についても、真剣に打開策を探ってもらいたい。

Most nuclear reactors are currently idle, so the country has to rely on thermal power plants using coal and liquefied natural gas for the time being.
　大半の原発が稼働しておらず、当面は石炭や液化天然ガス（ＬＮＧ）などの火力発電が頼りだ。

The national wealth is being drained as the cost to import such fuels as LNG has increased by as much as 3 trillion yen a year, adding to the massive trade deficit.
　ＬＮＧなど燃料輸入のコストが年３兆円も増え、巨額の貿易赤字で国富の流出が続いている。

Power companies should make an effort to procure cheaper fuel, but some resource-rich countries have taken advantage of them in price negotiations because of Japan's unclear nuclear power policy. It is extremely important for the government to clearly declare that it will operate nuclear power plants over the long term.
　電力会社は安い燃料の調達に努めるべきだが、原発政策が不透明なため、価格交渉で資源国に足もとを見られている面もある。長期的な原発活用を、政府方針として明確に示す意義は大きい。

The expansion of the use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power will probably be a major issue in revising the basic energy plan.
　太陽光や風力など再生可能エネルギーの拡大策も、エネルギー基本計画の大きな論点となろう。

However, renewable energy sources have shortcomings such as sharp fluctuations in electric power output because of weather changes. This is a high hurdle to clear.
　ただし、天候によって発電量が急変動するなど、短所も多い。乗り越えるべきハードルは高い。

We should avoid overestimating the spread of renewable energy sources, unless it is supported by evidence on the technology and cost involved.
　技術やコスト面での裏付けもなしに、期待先行で飛躍的な拡大を見積もることは避けるべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 13, 2013)
（2013年3月13日01時24分  読売新聞）