電力株主総会 批判を糧に信頼回復に努めよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jun. 29, 2012)
Power utilities should seriously take in criticism to restore trust
電力株主総会　批判を糧に信頼回復に努めよ（6月28日付・読売社説）

Nine electric power companies that own nuclear power plants held shareholders meetings Wednesday. Many shareholders called for management reform at the utilities.
　原発を有する９電力会社の株主総会が開かれ、株主から経営改革を求める声が相次いだ。

Public opinion has turned strongly against power companies in the wake of the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
　東京電力の福島第一原子力発電所事故を受け、電力会社への風当たりは強い。

Concerns are mounting over the nation's electricity supply. There is no prospect of reactors other than two at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi nuclear power plant being restarted although the searing summer heat is almost here.
　猛暑が近いのに、関西電力の大飯原発以外は再稼働のメドが立たず、電力供給に不安がある。

Power companies should seriously take shareholders' criticism of the current situation into account and utilize it for their management reform.
　電力各社はこうした現状に対する株主の批判を真摯(しんし)に受け止め、経営改革に生かすべきだ。

About 4,500 shareholders attended TEPCO's meeting, which lasted a lengthy 5-1/2 hours, about the same as last year's meeting.
　東電の株主総会は約４５００人が出席し、昨年並みの５時間半というロングラン総会となった。

Proposals from TEPCO, including one concerning the appointment of its directors, were approved. The new management team in which outgoing Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata will be replaced by Kazuhiko Shimokobe, former head of the Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund's steering committee, was decided.
　取締役選任など会社の議案は可決され、退任する勝俣恒久会長の後任に原子力損害賠償支援機構の下河辺和彦・前運営委員長が就くなどの新体制が決まった。

An amendment to its articles of incorporation, which is necessary for strengthening TEPCO's financial standing through an injection of 1 trillion yen in public funds, also was approved. This paved the way for TEPCO's de facto nationalization.
　１兆円の公的資金による財務強化に必要な定款変更も了承され、実質国有化へ道筋がついた。

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TEPCO must be humble

The reborn TEPCO must steadily implement its comprehensive special business plan to reconstruct itself. The company also must fulfill its responsibility to decommission reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, pay compensation to people and businesses affected by the nuclear accident and ensure a stable electricity supply. TEPCO should drastically improve its corporate culture.
　新生・東電は経営再建を図る総合特別事業計画を着実に実行し、廃炉と損害賠償、電力安定供給の責務を果たさねばならない。企業体質の抜本的な改善を図ることが求められよう。

Many people seeking compensation were bewildered when TEPCO sent them hefty tomes of application documents to fill out. TEPCO President Toshio Nishizawa provoked further ire late last year when he said, "Rate increases are a power company's right." At present, there is no likelihood that TEPCO can raise electricity rates for households.
　東電は損害賠償の手続きで分厚い請求書類を送りつけ、被害者を困惑させた。「値上げは権利」という西沢俊夫社長の昨年末の発言も強い反発を招いた。家庭向けの料金値上げは、実施できる見通しがまだ立っていない。

TEPCO's insensitive responses were unsurprisingly lambasted as "a monopoly company's arrogance." It is important that the utility does not repeat such blunders.
　「独占企業のおごり」と言われても仕方のない無神経な対応を、繰り返さないことが大事だ。

At TEPCO's meeting, the Tokyo metropolitan government--a major shareholder in the utility--proposed that the company's articles of incorporation include a provision stipulating that putting customer service first is TEPCO's mission. At KEPCO's shareholders meeting, the Osaka city government, the company's largest shareholder, made a proposal demanding thorough information disclosure, among other things.
　東電の総会では、大株主の東京都が「顧客サービス第一を使命とする」との規定を定款に盛り込むよう提案した。関電では筆頭株主の大阪市が、徹底した情報開示などを求める株主提案を行った。

All these proposals were voted down. However, power companies should seriously take to heart public criticism of their tendency to give users short shrift and their closed management.
　これらの提案はいずれも否決されたが、電力各社は利用者軽視や閉鎖的な経営への批判を、重く受け止めるべきだろう。

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No N-power not an option

The meetings were used by many shareholders to call for the companies to end nuclear power generation. It was particularly disconcerting that the Osaka city government proposed KEPCO abolish all of its nuclear plants immediately. Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto also urged KEPCO to change its management strategy to one based on the assumption there will be no nuclear power.
　「脱原発」を求める株主提案が相次いだ。中でも大阪市が関電に「速やかに全ての原発を廃止する」よう提案したのは問題だ。総会で橋下徹市長は、原発ゼロを想定した経営への転換も求めた。

Isn't Osaka, a city that consumes a massive volume of electricity, being irresponsible in taking the initiative in insisting that KEPCO abandon nuclear power generation?
　電力の大消費地である大阪市が率先して「脱原発」を主張するのは、無責任ではないか。

Nuclear power is a fundamental power source for ensuring a stable energy supply. It was only natural that every proposal to dump nuclear power generation--including one put forward at the KEPCO meeting--was voted down.
　エネルギーの安定供給を図る上で、原発は基幹となる電源だ。関電を含む全ての「脱原発」提案が否決されたのは当然である。

Ensuring nuclear reactors are safe and restoring trust in the utilities are the most important factors in getting the reactors steadily reactivated. To this end, power companies must work hard to ensure air-tight safety at their nuclear plants and appropriately and thoroughly disclose information.
　着実な原発再稼働に向けて最も重要なのは、安全確保と信頼回復だ。電力各社は、原発の安全管理と適切な情報開示の徹底に努めなければならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 28, 2012)
（2012年6月28日01時49分 読売新聞）