電力不足 節電に努め長期化に備えよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Mar. 25, 2011)
Prepare for lengthy power shortage
電力不足　節電に努め長期化に備えよ（3月24日付・読売社説）

A prolonged energy shortage is unavoidable in areas serviced by Tokyo Electric Power Co., due to the damage caused by the massive earthquake that hit the Tohoku and Kanto regions.
　東日本巨大地震による東京電力管内の電力不足は今後、長期化が避けられない。

The government must draw up a power supply plan through in-depth discussions with TEPCO and inform the public about it so as not to cause confusion.
　政府は、東電と綿密に打ち合わせて供給計画を作り、混乱が起きないよう国民への周知に努める必要がある。

Industrial circles and ordinary households will be asked to cooperate in efforts to deal with the power outage and save electricity.
産業界や一般家庭も、停電や節電に協力する姿勢が求められよう。

Planned blackouts in areas supplied with power from TEPCO began March 14. There was great confusion at first, partly due to inadequate explanations by TEPCO. Ten days have passed since then and problems remain, but the situation is stabilizing.
　東電管内で計画停電が始まったのは１４日だ。当初、説明不足もあって大混乱した。以来、１０日が過ぎ、問題はまだ残るが落ち着きを取り戻しつつある。

TEPCO plans to conclude its planned power outages by the end of April, when supply is expected to meet demand. But a worrisome situation is expected in summer.
　東電は、電力需給が見合う４月末で停電を打ち切る予定である。だが、懸念されるのは夏場だ。

The quake severely damaged TEPCO's power plants, including the Fukushima Nos. 1 and 2 nuclear facilities. It can now supply only 37.5 million kilowatts per day, not enough to meet demand.
　地震で東電は、福島第一、第二原子力発電所など、発電施設に大打撃を受けた。現在の供給能力は３７５０万キロ・ワットにとどまっており、需要を賄いきれない。

===

TEPCO trying to boost supply

Because of this, TEPCO is working hard to boost its supply capability by resuming operations at its thermal power plant in the Tokyo Bay area, which had been idle. By the end of April, TEPCO is expected to be able to supply about 43 million kilowatts, which should meet demand at least for the time being.
　このため、休止中だった東京湾岸の火力発電所を再起動するなど能力増強に懸命だ。４月末には供給能力が４３００万キロ・ワット程度に達し、需要はとりあえず満たされる見通しである。

In summer, however, air conditioners will be turned on en masse, increasing the daily demand for power to 60 million kilowatts in an average year.
　しかし、夏には冷房用クーラーが一斉に稼働し、例年、需要は最大６０００万キロ・ワットに増える。

TEPCO hopes to restore its power plants by then, including another thermal facility that was damaged in the quake. But it is expected to secure only about 50 million kilowatts through restoration work, so the problem remains of how to make up for the shortfall.
　東電はそれまでに、被災した火力発電所などを復旧させたいとしているが、確保できるのは５０００万キロ・ワット程度とされる。不足分をどう埋め合わせるのか。

The government is studying the possibility of limiting the total amount of power that can be used by businesses, a measure previously implemented during the 1970s oil crises. Reviving the system, designed to regulate how much each company can consume, is inevitable.
　政府は、石油危機当時に発動した総量規制の復活を検討中だ。企業ごとに電力使用量を制限する制度で、再発動もやむを得まい。

This method was effective at the time of the crises because the industrial sector accounted for a high percentage of the total power consumed at that time. Now that the amount of power in general use has increased, however, the benefits of this approach will be limited.
　ただ、当時は産業用電力の比率が高く有効だった。民生用が増えた現在では効果が限られる。

===

Interchange insufficient

Surplus electricity could be obtained from western Japan. Because this requires converting the frequency, however, this method of power supply is limited to 1 million kilowatts a day.
　西日本地区から余剰電力を融通する手法もある。これには周波数を変換する必要があり、１日に１００万キロ・ワットが限界だ。

Needless to say, TEPCO needs to boost its conversion ability, but as it would take quite some time to do this, TEPCO would not be able to finish in time for the increased demand in summer.
変換能力の増強に取り組むのは当然としても、かなり時間がかかるため、夏には間に合わない。

Given these circumstances, another cycle of planned power outages is inevitable. TEPCO must root out problems and make these outages run smoothly.
　こうした状況では、再び計画停電の出番となろう。問題点を洗い出し、スムーズに運ぶよう東電は工夫すべきだ。

Apart from the power plants in Fukushima Prefecture, the company needs to examine, in the medium term, restarting nuclear plants whose operations have been suspended.
　福島県内の原発は別として、中期的には、停止中の原発の再稼働も検討課題である。

If enough time is spent on repairs and safety inspections, it would be possible to restart operations at TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, where three reactors have been idle due to the impact of the 2007 Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake, and at Tohoku Electric Power Co.'s Onagawa nuclear power plant, which stopped operating after the March 11 quake.
　中越沖地震の影響で３基が動いていない東電・柏崎刈羽原発や、今回の地震で止まった東北電力・女川原発などは、補修と安全点検に時間をかければ再開可能だ。

It will be difficult, but efforts to win the understanding of local residents will be essential.
ハードルは高いが、地元の理解を得る努力が欠かせまい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 24, 2011)
（2011年3月24日01時17分 読売新聞）