Japan Relaxes Rules Against Wind Power Projects

Filed in archive Wind on August 5, 2006

The Japanese Environment Ministry has recently announced its move to relax restrictions on wind power generation within national parks. This move was initiated to promote clean energy development and supply in Japan and promote mitigating action against climate change.

Wind power projects within national parks have been a problem due to bird strikes (accidents involving birds). A total of three (3) billion yen is earmarked starting 2007 to study the most effective way of avoiding accidental bird deaths due to wind farms.

There are currently thirteen (13) wind power units built inside national parks in Japan. All these wind farms are small in size except for a 500-kilowatt facility on Hachijojima island, south of Tokyo. Read more about this story here.

This is related to last year's declaration of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to support public and private participation in stabilizing wind power output. Read more about Japan's goals of increasing wind power output here.