The Act on Special Measures Concerning New Energy Use by Electric Utilities (FY 2002 Law No. 62, known as the Renewables Portfolio Standard Act, or RPS Act) establishes minimum amounts of new energy sources to be used by electric utility companies, and stipulates that utility companies shall report on the results of efforts to meet this requirement in the previous fiscal year by June 1 each year. Based on reports submitted by electric utility companies in accordance with the RPS Act, the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy has compiled an overview of the status of facility certification and implementation related to the RPS Act for FY 2009.

1. Status of fulfillment of requirements

In FY 2009, the RPS Act required 42 electric utility companies (ten electric power companies, five specified electric utilities, and 27 specified-scale electric utilities) to utilize a total of 9,170,070,000 kWh from new energy sources. The FY 2009 report by these companies stated that the amount of electricity from new sources used exceeded the required amount.

At the same time, 21 electric utilities and 12 power producers banked the excess amount of electricity generated from new energy sources for FY 2010. The total amount of banked electricity (*1) totaled 6,405,731,000 kWh (electric utilities: 6,315,722,000; power producers: 90,009,000 kWh).

*1 “Banking”: If the amount of electricity supplied from new sources exceeds the required amount, electric utilities may apply amounts in excess of this requirement to obligations in the next fiscal year. Similarly, power producers making use of new energy sources may carry over the amount of electricity equivalent to that from new energy sources to the next fiscal year.

2. Total electricity generated from new energy sources at power generation facilities that utilize new energy sources

The total amount of electricity from new energy sources that was supplied to electric utilities by power generation facilities utilizing new energy sources was 8,873,162,050 kWh in FY 2009 (7,918,107,841 kWh in FY 2008). This includes 264,823,231 kWh of designated photovoltaic electricity (*2), that does not count toward fulfillment of requirements.

Total amount of electricity from new energy sources (unit: kWh)

Power generation source	Electricity supplied, by energy source
Wind power	3,734,397,573
Hydroelectricity	953,384,201
Photovoltaic power	681,219,881
Biomass power	3,223,231,093
Geothermal power	10,785,000
Cogeneration	5,321,071
Total	8,608,338,819
Designated photovoltaic power	264,823,231
Grand total	8,873,162,050

(Reference) Banked power carried over from FY 2008 to FY 2009: 7,043,150,000 kWh

*2 "Designated photovoltaic electricity” refers to electricity which the electric utilities are obliged to purchase under the “New Purchase System for Photovoltaic Electricity,” which comprises part of the electricity from new energy sources generated at photovoltaic power generating facilities. This electricity may not be applied to fulfillment of obligation under the RPS Act. The amount of designated photovoltaic electricity supplied in FY 2009 is for the period after implementation of the New Purchase System for Photovoltaic Electricity (i.e., from November 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010). The amount before implementation of the system (from April 1, 2009 to October 31, 2009) is included in the amount supplied via photovoltaic power generation.

3. Certification status of power generation facilities that utilize new energy sources

In FY 2009, the number of power generation facilities utilizing new energy sources totaled 83,562, with installed capacity equivalent to 645,238 kW; these facilities were certified pursuant to Article 9 of the RPS Act.

As of the end of FY 2009, a total of 519,966 power generation facilities that utilize new energy sources have been certified, and cumulative installed capacity has reached 6,486,158 kW (5,853,731 kW as of the end of FY 2008).

FY 2009 certification status of power generation facilities utilizing new energy sources (end of FY 2009)

Power generation by source	Number of facilities (cases)			Installed generation capacity (kW)
	Certified	Scrapped	End of FY 2009	Certified	Scrapped	End of FY 2009
Wind power	37	1	375	271,639	500	2,314,328
Photovoltaic power	16	3	83	1,850	7	18,087
Hydroelectricity	21	0	477	2,865	0	203,453
Biomass power	11	6	350	49,053	9,344	2,014,881
Geothermal power	0	0	1	0	0	2,000
Cogeneration	2	1	32	144	21	14,069
Total	87	11	1,318	325,551	9,872	4,566,818
Designated photovoltaic power	83,475	791	518,648	319,687	2,939	1,919,340
Grand total	83,562	802	519,966	645,238	12,811	6,486,158

(Remarks)

1) The installed generation capacity of biomass power generating facilities was calculated by multiplying the facility capacity by the biomass energy ratio.

2) Among photovoltaic power generating facilities, those subject to purchase requirements under the New Purchase System for Photovoltaic Electricity are treated as a new category of power generation facility.

Changes in total electricity supply utilizing new energy sources (unit: billion kWh)

	FY 2003	FY 2004	FY 2005	FY 2006	FY 2007	FY 2008	FY 2009
Biomass power	2.04	2.21	2.50	2.86	3.17	3.13	3.22
Hydroelectricity	0.84	0.91	0.70	0.94	0.85	0.96	0.95
Designated photovoltaic power	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.26
Photovoltaic power	0.20	0.35	0.46	0.54	0.66	0.76	0.68
Wind power	0.99	1.44	1.91	2.14	2.74	3.06	3.73

Changes in installed generation capacity of power generation facilities utilizing new energy sources (unit: 1000 kW)

	FY 2003	FY 2004	FY 2005	FY 2006	FY 2007	FY 2008	FY 2009
Biomass power	1164	1343	1513	1793	1923	1975	1965
Hydroelectricity	162	164	170	171	192	201	203
Designated photovoltaic power	0	0	0	0	0	0	1919
Photovoltaic power	528	741	988	1232	1432	1619	18
Wind power	673	921	1075	1552	1815	2043	2314

July 15, 2010

Office of Renewables Portfolio Standard, Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy