Chubu Electric Power Co. President Satoru Katsuno has expressed the company’s eagerness to grab a slice of the electricity market in the Tokyo metropolitan region when the country fully liberalizes power retailing in April.
Katsuno said in a recent interview that Chubu Electric plans to “differentiate itself from rivals in services and added value,” describing the Tokyo market entry as one of its most important projects.
Chubu Electric is expected to announce this month a new rate plan to be applied after the April market liberalization. The plan will use a time-of-day rate system to show consideration for users, according to the company.
Through the price revision, Chubu Electric hopes to develop community-based services, Katsuno said, signaling the company’s efforts to prevent any loss of existing customers at its home market in the Chubu central region.
Katsuno expressed his company’s readiness to compete head-on with Tokyo Electric Power Co. in the Tokyo market, though the two firms are partners in the thermal power generation business.
In April last year, Chubu Electric and TEPCO established JERA Co., a thermal power joint venture aimed at reducing fuel costs by taking advantage of its huge procurement of liquefied natural gas. While unveiling plans to promote overseas power generation, Katsuno said Chubu Electric aims to improve pricing, quality and services by enhancing the company’s value in global competition.
Katsuno stopped short of discussing when the Nuclear Regulation Authority will complete its safety screening of the No. 3 and No. 4 boiling water reactors at the company’s Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture.
The NRA currently places safety screening priority on boiling water reactors at TEPCO’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture over other such reactors on its screening list.(Jiji Press)
Link: http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002661290
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