Insights & Analysis
A straight-to-the-point monthly summary of important regulatory discussions and changes in Japan's power market.
In the July 2026 issue:
- Summary of METI, OCCTO, and other committee meetings
- Pumped hydro bilateral contracts in FY2026
- FY206 long-term decarbonization auction discussions
- Mid- to long-term market design discussions
- METI power business license and registration changes
- Nuclear power plant operational status updates
- ...and more
The next issue will be released on August 17, 2026.
Enehub Charts of the Week
Battery storage assets bidding into the balancing market for Primary (online) and Composite products cleared, on average, at or above METI’s newly proposed 15.00 yen/ΔkW per 30 minutes bid cap in about 17% of 3-hour time blocks between October 2025 and January 2026. This compares with approximately 92% at or above the originally proposed 7.21 yen/ΔkW per 30 minutes bid cap.
In its latest annual 10-year power demand forecast, OCCTO expects power consumption growth in the coming years to lag last year’s projections due to slower-than-expected data center rollout.
METI has scaled back its initial proposal to cut bid caps for Primary, Secondary-1, and Composite balancing market products from the current 19.51 yen/ΔkW per 30 minutes to as low as 7.21 yen. It now proposes a 15 yen cap from FY2026 instead, with further reductions considered only if competition remains weak.
