Statement by the Minister Edano regarding start of electricity saving period in areas served by KEPCO (10% or more targeted) and Kyushu EPCO (5% or more) and request for cooperation

December 16, 2011

1. In accordance with the “Electricity Supply-Demand Measures for this winter” issued by the Electricity Supply-Demand Review Meeting on November 1, 2011, the government has requested all electricity users in areas served by all domestic utilities except Okinawa Electric Power Company to reduce peak electricity usage (in kW) to the extent that does not interfere with their lives and economic activities (hereinafter referred to as the act of “saving electricity”) on weekdays during the period from December 1 to March 30, except for the year-end and New Year holiday period from December 29 to January 4.
2. The electricity saving period with specific numerical targets will shortly start in the areas served by Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) and Kyushu Electric Power Company (Kyushu EPCO). Customers in the KEPCO area are requested to save electricity by at least 10% during the period from December 19 to March 23, and those in the Kyushu EPCO area by at least 5% during the period from December 26 to February 3.*
   *In both areas, the request applies only to weekdays (except for the year-end and New Year holiday period from December 29 to January 4), from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the KEPCO area and from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Kyushu EPCO area.
3. I understand this may cause some inconvenience, but I must ask all those concerned to save electricity to the extent that does not substantially affect the operation of infrastructural services, such as hospital and railway services, and productive activities. I would sincerely appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
4. Should a tight supply situation be predicted at any time during the electricity saving period, the government will issue a tighter supply-demand alert*. In such a case, electricity users are expected to intensify their efforts to save electricity.
   * If the supply reserve is predicted to drop below 3%, the government will issue an alert at 6:00 p.m. on the day before as well as at 8:00 a.m. (7:00 a.m. in the Kyushu EPCO area) on the very day of the predicted tight supply. Electricity users will be notified through messages sent to their email addresses registered with tighter supply-demand notification services operated by news media companies, industry associations and the government.
5. To support your efforts to save electricity, the government will make every effort to provide electricity saving-related information and implement other measures that meet your needs, in cooperation with local governments and electric utilities.

Electricity Infrastructure Division, Electricity and Gas Industry Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy