Banks| Policies| Dodgy Deals| Campaigns
About us| Blog| Publications| Successes| Contact us| Donate
About BankTrack
Visit us
Organisation
Our team
Our board
Guiding principles
Team up with us
Join our Active Allies list
Our annual reports
Funding and finances
History
BankTrack in the media
Our privacy policy
Donate
2021-02-24 00:00:00
Protect the climate but finance Total?
2021-02-16 00:00:00
Oil and gas financiers are staring down the barrel at $1 trillion in losses: time to rein in support for new pipelines
2021-02-11 00:00:00
Beefing up risk: the exposure of JBS’ financiers to financial, regulatory and reputational risks
2021-01-25 00:00:00
Why should banks support EU mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence?
2020-09-24 12:53:20
Oscislowo open-pit coal mine cancelled
2020-09-08 13:07:41
Strengthened OECD guidance on responsible banking
2020-02-25 10:35:27
JPMorgan Chase Coal and Arctic Policy a step forward but fails to match its climate responsibility as the world’s #1 Fossil Bank
2020-02-18 17:27:23
Civil society groups welcome Royal Bank of Scotland preparing to exit fossil fuels
Connect
2021-03-24 00:00:00
Banking on Climate Chaos 2021
2021-03-22 00:00:00
BankTrack Annual Report 2020
2021-02-01 00:00:00
Banking on Thin Ice
2020-11-30 00:00:00
Soft Commitments, Hard Lessons: an analysis of the Soft Commodities Compact
2020-11-24 00:00:00
"Trust Us, We're Equator Banks": Part II
2020-11-18 00:00:00
Crude Risk: Risks to banks and investors from the East African Crude Oil Pipeline
See all publications
Browse
Home
Banks
Dodgy Deals
Map
Campaigns
About
About BankTrack
Donate
Contact BankTrack
Publications
Victories
Follow Us
News
BankTrack blog
Facebook page
Twitter channel
Home › News
Japan utilities at risk unless they adapt to changed market forces
Start

By: Greenpeace International
2013-02-06
Tokyo

Contact:


Greg McNevin, Greenpeace International Communications,

greg.mcnevin@greenpeace.org, +81 80 5416 6507

Yuki Sekimoto, Greenpeace Japan Communications,

yuki.sekimoto@greenpeace.org, +81 80 5088 3048

 

 


Share this page:

The value of Japan's energy utilities, which slumped in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, will fall further if the companies continue to ignore major changes in market forces and regulations, a new Greenpeace report warns.

The report 'Beyond Nuclear: The triple challenge facing Japanese utilities', identifies three main issues the industry faces: a new wave of market deregulation, the devaluation of nuclear assets and breakthroughs in the deployment of renewables - and recommends changes that could boost the fortunes of Japan's utilities.

"The Fukushima disaster has broken the back of the traditional energy industry in Japan. The combination of the three main challenges our report highlights, aggravated by shrinking electricity demand and volatile coal, oil and LNG prices can stifle recovery if the utilities don't quickly adapt their business models," said Gyorgy Dallos, Greenpeace International energy investments advisor.

Published today, the Greenpeace report notes that the share prices of Japan's 10 major utilities plummeted after the Fukushima disaster and have not recovered. Fukushima nuclear plant owner TEPCO lead the decline, while the shares of non-nuclear Okinawa Electric Power fell the least.

Despite the victory of the pro-nuclear LDP party at the national election in December, utility share prices were still 22-89% below March 2011 levels on February 1, 2013, significantly underperforming Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Index, which has recovered to above pre-Fukushima levels.

The Greenpeace report outlines a range of strategies, successfully used in other markets, that can guide the evolution of Japan's utilities. They must increase the flexibility of their electricity generation, improve the efficiency of existing thermal generation, reduce peak demand and volatility and learn how to benefit from the blossoming renewable revolution and Feed-in-Tariffs.

To boost their financial positions, the report also recommends that the utilities consider floating a minority share in their transmission-distribution assets.

"The good times are over for Japan's nuclear utilities. They can forget the days of market dominance and high profitability. But they can learn to be successful in a harsher environment and become less exposed to political changes and market risks," said Dallos.

 

Browse
Home
Banks
Dodgy Deals
Map
Campaigns
About
About BankTrack
Donate
Contact BankTrack
Publications
Victories
Follow Us
News
BankTrack blog
Facebook page
Twitter channel
Vismarkt 15
6511 VJ Nijmegen
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 24 324 9220
Contact@banktrack.org
©2016 BankTrack                Webdesign by BankTrack and EASYmind
BankTrack is a registered charity in the Netherlands (ANBI) - RSIN 813874658
Find our privacy policy here

Stay up to date

Sign up now for all BankTrack's news


Make a comment

Your comment will be reviewed, before being posted