Cities Threaten Japanese Utilities as Local Retailing Spreads
- Kyoto, Yokohama, Sappora are considering selling electricity
- Power retailed by small operators seen jumping 68% by 2020
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The latest threat to Japan’s biggest utilities is growing in rural communities like Miyama, a town on the southern island of Kyushu with a population of about 38,000. It may spread to the big cities next.
Tired of its citizens forking over hard-earned yen to regional utilities and keen to promote renewable energy, Miyama became one of the first municipalities to start its own electricity retailer amid the deregulation of Japan’s power market. Major cities like Kyoto, Yokohama and Sapporo -- with a combined population of more than 7 million -- are considering similar moves.