Japan Govt to Call For Power Saving ahead of Summer

Tokyo, June 7 (Jiji Press)--Japan's government decided Tuesday to call on households and businesses around the country to cooperate to conserve electricity amid concerns over a potential power crunch in the summer.

The decision was made at a meeting of relevant ministers for discussions on measures to avoid possible blackouts this summer. It is the first time since fiscal 2015 for the government to issue a nationwide request to save electricity.

Meanwhile, the government decided to forgo setting a uniform numerical target for power conservation.

The move comes amid fears of large-scale power outages occurring if the supply-demand balance for electricity deteriorates.

"The power supply-demand balance in summer and winter will be tight," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at the meeting. "We will create a system to put power conservation measures into place in cooperation with the industrial world and local governments," the top government spokesman said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]