TOKYO, March 22 (BNA): The Japanese government on Tuesday issued its first-ever warning about power supplies amid electricity shortages after last week’s earthquake shut down several plants, with the deficit exacerbated by technical problems that affected Tokyo Electric Power Company.
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has issued a warning for areas supplied by Tokyo Electric Corporation (TEPCO) and Tohoku Electric Power Company in anticipation of higher demand to meet heating needs as temperatures drop.
The government also called on citizens to reduce their energy consumption.
“We request your cooperation to save electricity as much as possible, such as setting the thermostat at around 20 degrees Celsius and turning off any unnecessary lights,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference.
Matsuno added that the energy demand is not likely to extend beyond Tuesday due to the expected rise in temperatures and the addition of more solar power generation as the weather improves.
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake in northeastern Japan last Wednesday shook equipment and forced six thermal power plants in areas served by TEPCO and Tohoku Electric to close.
Reuters reported that Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda told parliament earlier that some of these factories may take weeks or months to return to work.
In Tokyo, snow fell on Tuesday with temperatures expected to peak at just 4°C (39.2°F), compared with 14°C on Monday.
Coinciding with the supply warning, TEPCO said on Tuesday that technical problems had caused power outages to 2,120 households in three prefectures near Tokyo as of 11:34 a.m.
Hiroshi Okamoto, CEO of TEPCO Power Grid, told reporters at a government press conference that the blackout was unrelated to the power shortage.
TEPCO said it had no plans to conduct any planned outages, but warned of the possibility of a blackout in the evening. The company has ordered seven regional utilities to provide an electricity supply of 1.42 million kilowatts.
FA