Softbank Corp. President Masayoshi Son said 35 of Japan's 47 prefectures will be founding members of the new pro-solar power "natural energy council" when it is established on July 13.
Softbank Corp. President Masayoshi Son said 35 of Japan's 47 prefectures will be founding members of the new pro-solar power "natural energy council" when it is established on July 13.
The council, being set up by Softbank and local authorities to promote solar power generation, will include Fukushima Prefecture, where many residents have been forced to evacuate because of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Son said June 24.
Other participating prefectures will include Hokkaido, Kanagawa, Aichi, Osaka and Kumamoto.
Softbank plans to establish a subsidiary to operate solar power plants. Prefectures that join the council are expected to offer land for those facilities.
Softbank added renewable electricity generation and supply to the business purposes described in its articles of incorporation at its general shareholders meeting June 24.
In the meeting, Son said: "We cannot implement an information revolution without energy. Mobile phones become unusable during large-scale blackouts. I thought that, if the government and electric power companies cannot resolve the nuclear power issue, I have to do something."