Fukushima meltdowns set nuclear energy debate on its ear [View all]

[Fledermaus]

Before March 11, the government and media had generally ignored the voices of alternative energy advocates, he said. But the disaster poisoned the favorable environment for the pronuclear bureaucracy and all of the nation's reactors may find themselves idle in the coming months — at least temporarily — if politicians fail to ease Japan's boiling anitinuclear sentiment.

As of Dec. 25, only six of the nation's 54 reactors were running. But even these will be halted by spring for scheduled inspections, bringing electricity supplies to dangerous lows.

Even if the reactors pass their inspections, the government may have a hard time restarting them because doing so requires the consent of the municipal and regional governments hosting them. This is something local-level politicians are now very sensitive about because the risk of voter backlash is much higher in the wake of Fukushima.

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