Renewable energy fixed buying system to radical review August 5 21:54

From solar and wind power producers, a system will be radically revisited where large power companies buy power at a set price. With the aim of reducing the burden on consumers, we will introduce a new mechanism to promote price competition.

According to a proposal from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's council, the power generation cost for large-scale solar and wind power is steadily decreasing, and a new system has been developed to sell to the power market without a power producer It should be.

With the introduction of the new system, large-scale solar and wind power among renewable energy will be excluded from being eligible for purchase by major power companies at a fixed price.

The current system has been introduced to disseminate renewable energy, but the cost of purchasing has been added to electricity rates, and the standard household is expected to expand to over ¥ 9,200 this fiscal year.

Therefore, a radical review of the system aims to further promote price competition among businesses with solar light and wind power, and to reduce the burden on consumers.

However, with regard to household solar light, it is expected that the form of buying at a fixed price will be maintained for the time being, and even with the already recognized power producers, the current system will be for the contract period of 20 years. Purchase of will continue.

In the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, our policy is to solidify the details of the new system to the prospect of the end of the year.

With fixed price buying system

The current fixed price purchasing system for renewable energy is also called the "FIT system".

The targets are solar light, wind power, geothermal energy, biomass, and small- and medium-sized hydropower, introduced seven years ago in 2012 to disseminate renewable energy in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

At that time, such renewable energy was considered to have a higher power generation cost than thermal power generation etc., and the issue was how to promote it.

Therefore, the country presets a price that exceeds the power generation cost and obliges large power companies to buy for up to 20 years.

As a result, the percentage of renewable energy in the whole has increased from 2.7% to 8.1% before the introduction, excluding hydropower.

The government wants to increase this ratio from 22% to 24% in fiscal 2030. In the future, it will be an issue whether the cost of power generation can be further reduced and price competitiveness comparable to that of thermal power can be achieved.

Burden on household electricity rates

Under the current system, the cost of purchasing power from renewable energy by a major power company is added to the electricity price.

This additional cost was 684 yen a year for standard households at the beginning of the system.

However, after that, it has been rising year by year, and it is expected that the additional cost will expand to 9,204 yen in the standard household this year.

The amount of electricity purchased by solar power and wind power certified by the current system is expected to increase in the future, and how to reduce the burden on consumers is an issue.