Hokkaido urges power-saving goal of 7%

Cut electricity use by 7 percent.

The Japanese government is contemplating on telling the people in Hokkaido to do that this winter.

This is due to the suspension of Hokkaido Electric Power Co.'s Tomari nuclear power plant.

No numerical power cut targets are expected to be introduced in areas serviced by the eight other utilities that own nuclear power plants because those regions will likely be able to ride out the winter, according to the sources.

The 7 percent goal will be formally adopted when relevant ministers meet later this week, the sources said.

But the government doesn't intend to call on consumers in Hokkaido to prepare for rolling blackouts.

Nonetheless, the government may even consider raising the power cut target to as much as 10 percent because only limited amounts of power can be supplied from Honshu if any thermal power plants in Hokkaido were to malfunction.

Thermal plants are making up for the loss of nuclear energy amid the Fukushima crisis.

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