Agency for Natural Resources and EnergyMETI to Establish a Working Group for Reviewing the Accounting System Concerning the Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Stations

Based on the consideration of new regulations, including introduction of the backfit system for nuclear power stations, the actual status of decommissioning, which requires the safety management of radioactive substances over a certain period of time even after shutting down such stations, and other factors, METI has decided to establish a Working Group for Reviewing the Accounting System Concerning Decommissioning under the Expert Committee to review Electricity Prices, the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy, aiming to review whether the current accounting system concerning decommissioning is sufficiently adequate to secure the financial foundation required for decommissioning and also aiming to revise the system as needed.

The first meeting of the working group will be held by the end of June 2013,* and the working group will aim to reach the conclusion swiftly. In addition, the meeting will open to the public in principle.

* METI will publicize the date and schedule of the meeting on the following METI website when they are decided:
METI website for information on the meetings of councils and study groups:
https://wwws.meti.go.jp/interface/honsho/committee/index.cgi/committee (in Japanese)

Chair:

Mr. Hirotaka Yamauchi, Professor, Graduate School of Commerce and Management, Hitotsubashi University

Members:

Mr. Takashi Obinata, Professor, Graduate School of Economics, University of Tokyo

Ms. Kikuko Tatsumi, Executive Advisor, Nippon Association of Consumer Specialists

Mr. Takashi Nagata, Certified Public Accountants

Mr. Toshihiro Matsumura, Professor, Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo

June 4, 2013

Policy Planning Division & Electricity Market Division, Electricity and Gas Industry Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy