Japan fossil power falls once again

One of the world's largest oil, gas and coal importers — Japan — has cut fossil fuel electricity generation to the lowest levels in more than a decade so far in 2025, thanks in large part to an ongoing recovery in nuclear power output.

- Gavin Maguire

Japan's fleet of nuclear reactors has generated the largest amount of electricity this year since 2011, when a tsunami triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima power plant and sparked a curtailment of most of the country's nuclear reactors.

Alongside record renewable energy output, Japan's nuclear rebound has supplied utilities with the largest volume of clean power since 2010, and allowed power firms to cut the use of gas-fired power plants to the lowest in at least six years.

Japan's energy transition momentum away from fossil fuels will likely accelerate further in 2026 as the country restarts the world's largest nuclear reactor at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa and brings on additional renewable energy generation capacity.