東電事業計画 再稼働と値上げをどうする

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Apr. 29, 2012)
Govt takes on heavy burden in nationalizing TEPCO
東電事業計画　再稼働と値上げをどうする（4月28日付・読売社説）

The nationalization of Tokyo Electric Power Co. means that the government will be required to shoulder greater responsibilities for important energy polices such as resuming operations of suspended nuclear reactors.
　東京電力の国有化で、政府は原子力発電所の再稼働などに一段と重い責任を負うことになる。

On Friday, TEPCO and the government's Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund submitted the power company's comprehensive business rehabilitation plan to Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano. Edano is expected to approve the plan, which was prepared jointly by the two entities, in early May or later.
　東電と政府の原子力損害賠償支援機構が２７日、東電の再建を目指す「総合特別事業計画」をまとめ、枝野経済産業相に提出した。５月上旬にも経産相が認定する見通しという。

The plan was a prerequisite for TEPCO to receive 1 trillion yen in public funds. Now the power company needs to speed up reform of its management.
　東電が支援機構を通じて１兆円の公的資金注入を受けるための計画だ。東電は経営改革を加速する必要がある。

The main point of the business rehabilitation plan is the government's acquisition of a majority equity stake in the power company on a voting-rights basis, which effectively means the company will be nationalized. TEPCO's management team will also be changed drastically, with Kazuhiko Shimokobe, head of the Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund's steering committee, assuming TEPCO's chairmanship.
　計画のポイントは、東電株の議決権の過半数を政府が握り、実質国有化することだ。経営陣も大幅に刷新し、新会長に支援機構の下河辺和彦・運営委員長が就く。

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Govt required to do more

As TEPCO's new top shareholder, the government will be required to take a more active role in resolving the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and compensating victims of the crisis.
　政府は東電の筆頭株主として、福島第一原発の事故収束や損害賠償などに、主体的に取り組まなければならない。

We give credit to TEPCO's business rehabilitation plan for increasing the amount of cost reductions planned over the next 10 years from 2.6 trillion yen to more than 3 trillion yen. We ask the power company to continue its consistent efforts to trim costs.
　計画が、１０年間の経費削減額を従来の２・６兆円から３兆円超に上積みした点は評価できる。さらに不断の努力を続けてほしい。

The plan also sets a goal of moving into the black in fiscal 2013 through measures such as raising household electricity rates and resuming operations of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture.
　家庭向けの電気料金値上げや、新潟県の柏崎刈羽原発の再稼働で収益を改善し、２０１３年度に黒字化する目標も掲げている。

However, this goal is unlikely to be easily achieved.
　だが、こちらは実現へのハードルが高い。

TEPCO's sloppy handling of recent price hikes for large-lot customers prompted strong public criticism. Under such circumstances, it will be difficult for the power company to obtain public consent for raising household electricity rates. The power company also needs to dispel public distrust regarding the safety of nuclear power plants to resume operations of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant.
　大口料金値上げを巡る東電の不手際が、強い批判を浴びており、値上げに理解を得るのは容易でない。原発再稼働に向け、安全性への不信感払拭も求められる。

Of course, it is TEPCO's duty to earnestly ask the public to support the electricity price hike and the resumption of the nuclear power plant's operations, but the government must not leave those tasks up to the power company.
The government should take the lead in persuading the public, because owning the power company means the government will be directly responsible for approving TEPCO's price hike plan and deciding whether the reactivation of nuclear power plants is appropriate.
　東電が値上げや再稼働への理解を真摯(しんし)に求めるのは当然だが、政府も東電任せにせず、説得の先頭に立たねばならない。値上げの認可も、再稼働の妥当性の判断も、決めるのは東電を所有する政府自身になるからだ。

It is also worthy to note that an attempt to introduce the so-called "in-house company system" was incorporated in TEPCO's business rehabilitation plan. It is a good idea to increase employees' awareness of costs by dividing the power company into smaller units, such as a thermal power generation section and an electric transmission and distribution section, and give each of them a certain level of autonomy.
　事業計画に社内カンパニー制導入を盛り込んだ点も注目される。「火力発電」「送配電」などに分けて独立性をもたせ、コスト意識を高める狙いはいい。

However, it will be a problem if the power company uses management reform as a springboard to reforming the electricity system without the public noticing, such as separating power generation and transmission. Electricity system reform should be discussed carefully as a medium- and long-term issue.
　ただし、東電改革を突破口に、なし崩しで発送電分離などを進めるのは問題だろう。電力制度改革は、中長期的な課題として慎重に議論すべきだ。

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TEPCO's bleak outlook

There is concern that TEPCO's costs related to the nuclear crisis may increase by trillions of yen, due to factors such as the decommissioning of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and the need to decontaminate areas affected by radiation. Under the current system of support for the power company, such costs are shouldered by the government only temporarily. The power company will be required to pay back the loans to the government over a long time.
　福島第一原発の廃炉や除染などで、今後さらに数兆円単位の費用が発生する懸念もある。現行の支援制度は、政府が支払いを立て替えるだけで、東電は長年にわたり債務返済を続けることになる。

If TEPCO is unable to show positive prospects for the future, it could prompt growing numbers of talented employees to leave, and the company itself could be restrained in its investments in plant and equipment. Under such circumstances, the company would have difficulty carrying out its vital missions of ending the nuclear crisis, paying compensation to victims and providing a stable energy supply.
　東電の将来展望が見えないと、人材の流出や設備投資の抑制で、肝心の事故収束、損害賠償、電力安定供給に支障が出かねない。

If the costs of the nuclear crisis exceed the level that a private company can handle by itself, the government should pay a reasonable share.
　民間企業の担える範囲を超えてコストが膨らむようなら、政府も応分の負担をするべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 28, 2012)
（2012年4月28日01時02分 読売新聞）