TEPCO: Don't worry about power blackouts this winter

Rolling power blackouts should not be a problem this winter as Tokyo Electric Power Co. says it likely will have a sufficient supply to meet demand.

"We will make our utmost efforts not to implement rolling blackouts," TEPCO's vice president, Takashi Fujimoto, told The Asahi Shimbun in an interview.

Fujimoto said the company has secured 1.5 million kilowatts more power than the peak demand of last winter.

TEPCO raised its estimate for electricity supply this winter by roughly 2 million kilowatts after it became clear that operations will shortly resume at the thermal power plant in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture.

The Soma Kyodo thermal power plant was damaged in the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.

Because of the increase in the estimated electricity supply, TEPCO expects to have 53 million kilowatts on hand, Fujimoto said.

As for demand this winter, Fujimoto said he expected it to be lower than 51.5 million kilowatts, the peak reached in February this year.

"Electricity-saving measures taken by hotels and buildings during the summer, such as the removal of fluorescent lights near windows, will be taken again this coming winter," he said.

In January 2008, however, electricity demand peaked at 55.02 million kilowatts.

On possible spanner in the works concerns the operations of reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture. One of its reactors is scheduled to be shut down in January for regular inspections.

That will reduce TEPCO's electricity supply capability by 1.1 million kilowatts.

"If the coming winter is extremely cold, it could be a little bit difficult to secure a sufficient supply," Fujimoto conceded.

Operations of two other reactors at the nuclear plant are currently suspended due to regular inspections.

"(Unless those operations are resumed,) the supply-demand situation next summer will become much tighter than it was this year," he said.