Late last month, JR-EAST Energy Development announced it will cancel the development of its Kurikoyama onshore wind project due to the delays and additional costs that responding to the requests made by the government in response to the power plant’s environmental impact assesment would cause.
Upon review of the power plant’s environmental impact assessment, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry requested JR-EAST Energy Development to appropriately evaluate and design conservation measures related to birds such as golden eagles.
Separately, Yonezawa City in Yamagata Prefecture, where the project was to be located, requested the project to be canceled, citing insufficient efforts made to gain the understanding of the city’s residents. Yonezawa City’s Mayor Yosuke Kondo called the project’s full cancelation a “wise decision that listens to the voices of the local community.”
JR-EAST Energy Development was planning to commission the up to 34MW project that would involve the installation of up to 10 turbines over an area of approximately 260ha in March 2029.
