Power Cuts Spread to West Japan as Nuclear Restarts Put on Hold

Power cuts will hit Kansai, Japan’s second-largest industrial region, as early as this month as restarts of nuclear plants may be delayed, impeding the nation’s recovery from a record earthquake and atomic disaster.

A delay in starting reactors shut for regular maintenance could mean Kansai Electric Power Co.’s clients will be asked to cut power use by 10 percent this summer, Fukui Governor Issei Nishikawa said in an interview. The Kansai region, home to Panasonic Corp. and Nintendo Co., sources about 55 percent of its energy from atomic plants in Fukui, north of Osaka.