A Strong Political Wind for Japanese Energy

As of March 2008, Japan has increased their wind energy output 80 times from the level of output 10 years ago, pumping out nearly 1,700,000 kilowatts of energy from wind power alone. And just last year, Japan pledged to cut its own emissions by 60-80% from current levels by 2050. On top of that, in 2008, then prime minister Yasuo Fukuda presented a plan to cut global emission by 50%. A surprising, but welcome initiative. How did Japan do it?

Like many other European countries, Japan has increased government subsidies given to power companies and other retailers that encourage them to switch to a more efficient form of energy production. The wind energy target for the next two years is to expand the output to 3 million kilowatts—calling for a virtual doubling of the over 1,400 wind turbines already in place.

Think about how Japan has changed their outlook since the "Lost Decade" of the 90s—they have consistently shown world leadership in promoting renewable energy, which has, so far, brought further good fortune to their economy.

Surprisingly, not all of these turbines are run by regional governments or corporations. In September 2001, Hokkaido Green Fund (HGF), a nonprofit organization (NPO) in Hokkaido, northern Japan, built Japan's first citizen-funded wind power plant: Sapporo Station, nicknamed "Hamakaze-chan" or "beach wind."

Other interesting and productive wind farms around Japan:

• Panoramic view of Seto Wind Hill Park in Ikata. and some high resolution images.
• The Nunobiki plateau Wind Farm, which generates enough electricity to power 35,000 homes.
• The Hibikinada Wind Farm is a15,000 kilowatt facility on the coast of Hibikinada, Japan. It supplies power to Kyushu Electric Power Co. using ten 1,500 kW wind turbines from GE Wind Energy. The turbines are expected to generate 35 million kWh annually, enough to supply 10,000 average Japanese homes.

The Japan National Tourism Organization seems just as excited about wind energy as its government—offering up the following summaries for tourists about wind farms across the country:

• Cape Soya Wind Farm in Wakkanai City: Located in the far northern part of Hokkaido with a view of Sakhalin, are 57 wind turbines, some reaching as high as 40 m. Total output is 57,000 kW—equivalent to approx. 60% of the consumption of Wakkanai City.
• In Horonobe Town: Otonrui Wind Power Station comprised of 28 wind turbines, some as high as 99 m, lined up over a distance of 3 km.
• In Tomamae: 3 wind power stations facing the Japan Sea: Yuhigaoka Power Plant, Tomamae Green Hill Wind Park Power Plant and Tomamae Winvilla Power Plant—all contributing to an output of more than 20,000 kW.
• The northern Japanese town of Hokkaido, which is the first offshore wind-for-power system outside of Europe, has been harnessing the ocean wind since 2003. It has two 600-kilowatt turbines located inside a breakwater less than one kilometer off the coast, which is enough to power an average of 1,000 homes per year.