Niigata Prefecture Governor Hideyo Hanazumi is scheduled to visit Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant on Friday. The rare visit to the facility, idled since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, is being closely watched for hints on a potential restart. The governor is expected to make a decision this month.
The governor of Niigata Prefecture, Hideyo Hanazumi, will make a rare visit to one of Japan’s most-troubled nuclear power plants this week. He is scheduled to visit Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant and an associated training facility on Friday, the local government announced, without giving further details. The plant, better known by its KK initials, was idled after the 2011 Fukushima disaster and requires the governor’s approval to restart.
Japanese news agency Kyodo, citing an unidentified local official, reported on Tuesday that the governor is expected to make a decision this month. An official at the Niigata prefectural government said the governor had not commented about the matter. The event is being watched closely by gas traders for any hint that the facility might be restarted, amid ongoing debates over nuclear energy in Japan’s energy mix.