Up to now, the Hokkaido government has held discussions with various economic and civic groups, and conducted public briefings for residents in the four neighboring municipalities, the Shiribeshi region, and six areas across the prefecture. While some residents have voiced concerns and apprehensions about the restart, the councils of the four host municipalities—Tomari Village, Kamoenai Village, Kyowa Town, and Iwanai Town—have adopted resolutions calling for an early restart, and their mayors have expressed support. Governor Suzuki said he takes these local decisions seriously and demonstrated a willingness to move forward with the restart of Unit 3.

The governor also noted that “electricity prices in Hokkaido are among the highest in Japan, placing a significant burden on residents’ daily lives and the local economy.” He added that he received a direct explanation from Hokkaido Electric Power President SAITO Susumu regarding the company’s outlook for electricity rate reductions following the restart of Unit 3 (as previously reported).

Governor Suzuki cited the following points as the basis for his judgment that the restart is a “realistic option”:

  1. Tomari-3 has been certified as compliant with the new regulatory requirements.

  2. The national government has integrated the emergency response, disaster-prevention, and evacuation plans for Hokkaido and 13 municipalities within the UPZ[1]Urgent Protective Action Planning Zone, generally covering the 5–30 km radius around a nuclear plant, and the Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters has approved the comprehensive response plan for the Tomari region.

  3. The restart is expected to lead to lower electricity rates.

  4. It will contribute to securing stable power supply amid expected increases in electricity demand.

  5. Securing decarbonized power sources will support economic growth in Hokkaido and help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Governor Suzuki plans to visit Unit 3 to verify safety measures on site. He will also meet again with the mayors of the four host municipalities before making a final decision, based on discussions at the prefectural assembly.

At a press conference the same day, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry AKAZAWA Ryosei stated, “The restart of Tomari Unit 3 is important from the standpoint of energy security and achieving carbon neutrality. We will continue efforts to gain the understanding of local communities.”

Asked about the significance of a nuclear restart for Hokkaido—where Rapidus Corporation is constructing a next-generation semiconductor plant and data-center development is accelerating—Minister Akazawa emphasized:

“The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is promoting the concept of ‘Watt–Bit Collaboration,’ under which data centers that require stable power supplies are clustered near power stations to foster industrial hubs. If the restart of Tomari-3 is achieved, it will support these policies. It would be extremely beneficial.”

References

References
↑1 Urgent Protective Action Planning Zone, generally covering the 5–30 km radius around a nuclear plant