Local authorities of Osaka seek stable electricity supply.

OSAKA, May 4 Kyodo

The Osaka prefectural government and the city of Osaka called on Kansai Electric Power Co. Friday to make further efforts to secure a stable electricity supply in the coming summer.

Officials of the two local governments made the request at their meeting with the utility's vice president Shigeki Iwane, who told them it would be difficult to provide electricity in a stable manner even if it is able to restart two idled reactors at its Oi nuclear power plant.

Kansai Electric presented data at the meeting to show that it would have a supply shortage of 4.95 million kilowatts of electricity in August without the resumption of the two reactors if this summer is as hot as that of 2010, even if people make power saving efforts.

The local authorities, however, urged the utility to immediately revise its plan to reduce electricity demand so it will not cause blackouts in its service areas, including Osaka.

As part of its efforts to reduce electricity demand, Kansai Electric told the meeting it will distribute merchandise coupons to households which make efforts for power saving.

Since the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in March 2011, no Japanese reactors have resumed operating after being shut down for mandatory periodic checks, leaving the country with just one active reactor.

The Oi reactors are front-runners in the government's process for restarting idled reactors.