Japan’s Utilities Lose $46 Billion as End of Era Nears

Japan’s atomic power industry lost a record $46 billion since the Fukushima tsunami and meltdown last year, wiping out seven years of profit. Then came the bad news.

The government is preparing to force regional monopolies to spin off transmission assets from generation, under a July 13 announcement that helped cut 1.3 trillion yen ($17 billion) in market value in three weeks at the nine utilities from Tohoku Electric Power Co. to Kansai Electric Power Co. The overhaul, designed to spur competition, is the industry’s biggest in post-war Japan.