Next-generation Energy Policy (3)
A transparent wide-area power grid that will serve as the basis for the propagation of renewable energy

The first installment our series of proposals concerning a “next-generation energy policy” described measures to resolve the gap between electricity supply and demand this summer; the second set out our basic thinking on next-generation energy systems from a medium-to-long term perspective and pointed out that system characteristics differ at the three levels (consumer, community and national). To achieve wider use of renewable energy, it will be necessary not only to provide economic incentives such as feed-in tariffs (fixed-price buyback schemes) but also to ensure that renewable energy sources are connected to the power grid, taking account of issues such as supply stability and quality.

As a basis on which to consider national level energy systems, this report begins by examining how power grids based on the separation of power generation and distribution are managed in Europe, where the use of renewable energy is already widespread, and what measures policy makers have implemented to support this approach. It then puts forward proposals concerning the lessons that Japan could learn from the European experience.