Niigata Assembly Backs Governor Hanazumi on Kashiwazaki Kariwa Restart

The Niigata Prefectural Assembly on December 22 passed a resolution expressing confidence in Governor HANAZUMI Hideyo, who has indicated his acceptance of the restart of Units 6 and 7 at the Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Plants (ABWR, 1,356 MWe ×2). Prior to this, on December 19, the assembly's standing committee approved, by majority vote, a supplementary budget related to the restart of Unit 6.

On November 21, Governor Hanazumi stated with regard to the central government's request for understanding on the restart of Units 6 and 7 that "Niigata Prefecture will give its consent after confirming the national government's response." He further indicated that his decision should be based on public trust in prefectural governance and expressed his intention to seek the confidence of the prefectural assembly to continue in office.

"I would like to ask the prefectural assembly to judge whether I should receive its confidence to continue performing my duties as governor, or whether it will choose no confidence," Hanazumi said, formally requesting a vote of confidence from the assembly.

Explaining the reasons for his decision to accept the restart, Governor Hanazumi cited the fact that Units 6 and 7 had passed reviews by the Nuclear Regulation Authorityand that their safety had been confirmed. He stated that while risks can never be reduced to zero, "I believed that restart cannot be halted simply due to vague anxieties or reasons lacking rational grounds."

Meanwhile, on December 19, AKAZAWA Ryosei, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, said at a post-Cabinet press conference that "the restart of the Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Plants is extremely important for Japan's energy policy, from the perspectives of addressing vulnerabilities in power supply in eastern Japan, restraining electricity prices, and securing decarbonized power sources." The government also indicated that it will steadily advance efforts to deepen public understanding of the restart by providing careful explanations, while strengthening nuclear emergency preparedness, enhancing governance at Tokyo Electric Power Co., and implementing regional development measures that take into account local conditions and requests.