The lessons Japan learned the hard way from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdowns have formed the foundation of the country's energy policy. So why is the Japanese government now overturning the decade-long policy? We cannot help but question the sudden about-face.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry released a draft outline of the next Strategic Energy Plan. It removed the phrase stating "Japan ... will reduce its dependence on nuclear power as much as possible," which the government has heretofore upheld based on regrets over the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The draft plan labels nuclear energy as part of decarbonized power sources alongside renewable energy, and lays out a policy to "make maximum use of" nuclear power by promoting the replacement of nuclear plants and the development of next-generation innovative reactors.

The Strategic Energy Plan is a guideline for the country's mid- to long-term energy strategy and is updated every three years or so. When it was revised in 2014, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government incorporated a phrase vowing to reduce Japan's dependence on nuclear power, with the administration stating it will "review the energy strategy from square zero." The phrase had since been upheld until the current energy plan, playing a part in stopping Japan from easily turning back to nuclear power generation.

Regardless, the industry ministry is attempting to make a policy turnaround only through discussions by a limited number of experts.

Amid an outlook of spiking electricity demand due to the construction of new and additional semiconductor plants and data centers in the country, the draft plan stresses that Japan must not lose an opportunity for growth.

However, reactor decommissioning at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station has hit a snag, and many residents are still forced to remain evacuated due to high radiation doses in disaster areas. The logic of attaching top priority to the economy will not win public understanding.

It is also questionable whether the draft proposal will lead to balancing decarbonization efforts with stable power supply.

Under an energy mix goal for fiscal 2040 set by the draft plan, nuclear power will account for around 20%, the same level as in the current energy plan. In fiscal 2023, the actual ratio stood at 8.5%. Amid deep-seated anxiety over the safety of nuclear plants, the hurdles for gaining consent from local communities, a prerequisite for restarting nuclear reactors, are rising.

With regard to the replacement of nuclear plants, the draft plan revised the conventional policy of limiting it to the premises of decommissioned plants, and allows the replacement on the grounds of any nuclear stations run by the same utility company. That said, the power industry is reluctant to replace reactors as it requires massive investments of over 1 trillion yen (approx. $6.37 billion) per reactor.

While the industry ministry is poised to set up a system to recover the construction costs by adding it to electricity bills, consumers will have to bear heavier burdens. The issue of how to dispose of spent nuclear fuel after power generation also remains up in the air.

It is essential to spark national debate over the risk of Japan continuing to use nuclear power in this quake-prone country.