Insights & Analysis
A straight-to-the-point monthly summary of important regulatory discussions and changes in Japan's power market.
In the May 2026 issue:
- Summary of METI, OCCTO, and other committee meetings
- Proposed revised thresholds for solar project EIA
- Revised capacity market withdrawal penalty system proposal
- Kyushu renewable curtailment system revision
- METI power business license and registration changes
- Nuclear power plant operational status updates
- ...and more
The next issue will be released on July 15, 2026.
Enehub Charts of the Week
While solar curtailment remains highest in Kyushu by a wide margin, Shikoku and Tohoku are also becoming increasingly prone. This trend highlights the need for storage and the growing potential for FIT-to-FIP conversions with battery retrofits in these regions.
Multiple grid interconnection expansion projects are underway in Japan to allow renewable generation to flow out of renewable-rich areas at the grid’s edges including Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Kyushu, as solar and wind capacity grows. The chart shows net power flows in and out of each area during FY2024.
Zero-premium levels, the highest FIP prices at which projects would not earn any premium other than the balancing subsidy, fell for solar across all nine mainland TSOs in August 2025, dropping to as low as 1.75 yen/kWh in Shikoku.
