FOUNDATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES I A Social … · Dwi Andi Listiawan FOUNDATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES I A Social History of Science and Technology in Contemporary Japan

THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ELECTRIC POWER INDUSTRY ;

ROAD TO SELF-RELIANCE

Dwi Andi Listiawan

FOUNDATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES IA Social History of Science and Technology in Contemporary Japan

www.fepc.or.jp

History of Japan’s Electric Power Company

• March 1878 : Electricity was first used in Japan at the Institute of Technology in Toranomon

• 1886 : Tokyo Electric Lighting, a private company, commenced operations as the nation’s

first electric power company, and began supplying electricity to the public

in the following year

• : Use of electricity grew primarily for lighting because of its safety and cleanness,

and gradually found broader applications as a power source to replace

the steam engine

• 1896 : the number of electric utilities established throughout the nation reached 33

• Early 20th century : the establishment of long-distance transmission technology

• : As larger thermal and hydro power plants were introduced, generation costs fell

and electricity came into wider use throughout the country. Consequently, electricity

became an indispensable energy source for peoples’ lives and industry

• 1918 ~ : Restructuring 700 electric utilities, which merged to create 5 major electric utilities

• During WWII : the electric utility industry was completely state-controlled and utilities were

integrated into Nihon Hatsusoden Co. (a nationwide power generating and

transmitting state-owned company) and nine distribution companies

• 1945-1952 : Supply and demand for electricity remained very tight in Japan. A series of intense

discussions were held on restructuring the electric utility industry as one of the

measures for democratizing the economy. As a result, nine regional privately

owned and managed General Electricity Utilities— Hokkaido, Tohoku, Tokyo,

Chubu, Hokuriku, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu Electric Power

Companies— were established in 1951 and assumed the responsibility of

supplying electricity to each region

www.fepc.or.jp

http://www.fepc.or.jp/english/energy_electricity/history/


What Happenned during the Occupation Period (1945-1952)?

• Creation of the Public Utilities Commission (Koueki Jigyou

Iinkai) in 15 December 1950

• Followed by creation of Nine private regional electric power

companies in 1951

• The electric power industry moved from direct government

control to operations under a new regulatory system

• The new electricity system was not the product of negotiated

consensus by all concerned parties, but rather a unilateral

imposition of the restructuring plan proposed by the Nine

Haidens and Yasuzaemon Matsunaga (Deputy Chairman of the

Public Utilities Commission) by the Japanese Government

under GHQ/SCAP coercion

• The parties on the `losing side` of this dispute did not lose all of

their power to shape or influence the electric power industry

• Many personnel moved from Nippon Hassouden (the Japan

electric Generating and Transmission Company) to the new

regional power companies.

• Local goverments, whose demands for a nationwide municipal

power distribution system were rejected, revised their objective

and began to demand the restoration of municipally managed

electric power.

Takuji Okamoto, 2005A Social History of Sci and Tech in Contemporary Japan Vol. 2 pp.414-450

Source : Wikipedia



ROAD TO SELF-RELIANCE (1952-1959)THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ELECTRIC POWER INDUSTRY

The Foundation of the EP Industry Central Research Institute

• A new research institute that was to take over most of the

former Hassoden research staff was established immediately

after the creation of the nine power company in 1951

• Before the reorganization of the industry, a Hydroelectric and

Electricity Research institute had been founded within

Hassoden in July 1940 and 1942

• In the early postwar restructure (1947), these were merged to

form the Electric power research laboratory (Denryouku Gijutsu

Kenyusho) to carry out electric power technology-related

inspection, research, and investigation

• Research focuses :

- Electric Power

- Civil Engineering

- Thermal Power

- Electric Power Application

- Chemistry

• Matsunaga (Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission)

recognized the important of scientific research in the electric

power industry and allowed juridically the nine companies to

establish Electric Power Research Laboratory in 1951


Source : www.ndl.go.jp



The Establishment of Federation of Electric Power Companies

In 1952, the nine electric power companies established the Federation of Electric

Power Companies (FEPC) to promote smooth operations within the industry

(Except Okinawa Electric Power)

www.fepc.or.jp



Establishment of the Central Research Institute of the Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI)

• Matsunaga requested the establishment of an economic research organization to Matsujiro Oyama

(Technical Advisor to PUC) and his plan was successfully drafted on September 1951

• In 1952, the nine electric power companies established the Federation of Electric Power Companies

(FEPC) to promote smooth operations within the industry (Except Okinawa Electric Power)

• Drafted plan to establish an economic research organization then was submitted to the Public Utilities

Commission as a proposal

• After discussion at the technology divison of the Comission’s secretariat and the Federation of Electric

Power Companies of Japan (Denki Jigyo Keieisha Kaigi), the plan was approved by PUC

• On 31 July 1952, the planned research institute facility was inaugurated as a juridical foundation :

The Central Research Institute of the Electric Power Industry

1951: Research Institute of Electric Technology established

1952: Name of the Institute changed to Central Research

Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI)

1953: The first year of electrification

NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) and Nippon

Television Network Corporation (NTV) start

broadcasting

1958: Subaru 360 automobile introduced

http://criepi.denken.or.jp/



Research Focuses at the CRIEPI during 1950’s

Research was conducted for improving

the quality of electric power by raising

the rating of transmission voltage from

154 kV to 275 kV.

CRIEPI designed an economical

hydroelectric dam in order to promote

the development of large-scale

reservoirs for electric power generation.

In order to clarify electrical phenomena

that occur in transmission systems,

CRIEPI developed AC network

analyzers

http://criepi.denken.or.jp/

The Electric Power Industry under the New System

• 1945 : Power crisis began a few months after the end of WWII and continued ti be

problem throughout Japan well into 1950s

• 1949 : Continually demand from households and reviving industries, accelerated by the

Korean War-related special procurement programs, could not be satisfied by the

exisisting power plants.

: In response, construction of new power plants began at 33 locations producing

electricity of total capacity 590.000 kW with 10 billion yen called ‘Mikaeri-Shikin’

• 1950 : 15 billion yen was added to Mikaeri-Shikin

• December 1950 : Newly completed facilities were providing 300.000 kW from hydroelectric and

100.000 kW of thermal power

: Following restructure of the industry, efforts to improve the supply and demand

situation continued with specific measures including price review, planning further

developments of power generating facilities, and developing a supply and demand


Electricity Charges and the Prices of Commodities


Components ratio of actual costs


Changes in the electric power development plans


Change in electricity usage


Electric power development plan by the electric power development adjustment council


Fund raising for plant construction by nine power companies


Developing Hydroelectric Resources (1950s’)

http://criepi.denken.or.jpSource of pictures www.wkipedia.com

Funding details of Denpatsu


Changes to power generating capacity


Two types of Dam Construction


Developing Thermoelectric Power

http://www.chuden.co.jp/

Developing Thermoelectric Power


CONCLUSION – How to View Postwar Electric Power Industry


Major Power Plants in Japan

www.fepc.or.jp

FOUNDATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES I A Social … · Dwi Andi Listiawan FOUNDATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES I A Social History of Science and Technology in Contemporary Japan

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