[Great news] Shizuoka Prefecture, Kannami Town mega solar project canceled - years of opposition bear fruit

According to Renewable Energy News...

Shizuoka Shimbun (November 2024, 11 edition)

On October 2024, 10, developer Blue Capital Management submitted a notice to Shizuoka Prefecture to discontinue its mega solar project plan in Kannami Town, Shizuoka Prefecture. [Click the source for the full text...]

Plans to develop a large-scale mega solar power plant (total output 2 kW) in the Karuizawa area of ​​Kannami town, Shizuoka prefecture, which has been repeatedly reported by the Energy Forum, have been cancelled.

On October 10, developer Blue Capital Management submitted a notice to Shizuoka Prefecture to cancel the mega solar project plans.
The prefecture is expected to accept the application after checking the planned site and making sure that the cancellation will not cause any problems.
The focus now will shift to whether the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy will revoke the project's FIT certification ID.

According to sources, the plan was devised in 2017 by Toenec, a subsidiary of Chubu Electric Power.
Blue Co., Ltd. obtained a FIT certification ID in April 18 with the assistance of Tokyo Sangyo, a company involved in renewable energy business.

Blue was contracted to install the panels, and Toenec took over the project as the client. However, local residents, who were concerned about landslides, strongly opposed the plan, claiming that it violated relevant laws.
On June 21, 6, residents visited the Shizuoka Prefectural Government Office and handed over a petition calling for a review of the plan.
Then, just four days later, a massive mudslide occurred in Izuyama, Atami City, a few kilometers east of the Karuizawa area, resulting in a major disaster in which 28 people were killed, including one disaster-related death.
This spurred the opposition movement.

At the foot of the mountain where the construction is planned, there is Tannan Elementary School...

Subsequently, after the mayor of Kannami expressed his disagreement with the plan, Toenec abandoned the plan, recorded a special loss of 22 billion yen in its interim financial statements in October 10, and announced its withdrawal in January 114.
As a result, Blue Co., Ltd. terminated its contract with Tokyo Sangyo.
The company had been in discussions seeking the return of expenses incurred in the project, but "decided that a resolution through negotiation would be difficult," according to a Toenec representative, and on June 6nd filed a lawsuit in the Nagoya District Court seeking the return of payments already made.
In response, Blue Inc. commented, "This lawsuit is one-sided and there is no reason to terminate the contract."
Tokyo Sangyo also stated that it "believes that there is no reason for (Toenec's) claim to terminate the status transfer agreement," indicating it would fight the legitimacy of the contract through court action.
In this situation, Blue Inc. appears to have decided to discontinue its business.
In the notice of project cancellation submitted to the prefecture, the reason for the cancellation was described as "the client, for their own convenience, overrode our opposition, declared the cancellation, and became unable to perform the contract."

"The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry should revoke FIT certification IDs"

Masayuki Yamaguchi, co-chair of the National Liaison Council on Renewable Energy Issues (and former superintendent of the Osaka Prefectural Police), who has been leading the opposition movement for many years, expressed his feelings in an interview with the Energy Forum as follows.
"I am deeply moved to learn that the developer has decided to abandon the mega-solar project in Kannami Town.
For the first time in my life, I was involved in the opposition movement with local people for about five and a half years, and the hardships I endured are beyond words.
Although they were often subjected to slander and felt like giving up at times, they continued to work hard, encouraging each other with the belief that the damage caused by the Atami mudslides must never be repeated.
This is thanks to the help and cooperation of many people, including Kannami Mayor Yoshishi Nishina, town council members, Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly members, Diet members from both the ruling and opposition parties, experts in the energy industry, and media personnel, who helped to protect the lives and livelihoods of the residents.
We ask that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry use its appropriate judgment to revoke the FIT certification ID for this project.
Even now, there are many areas across the country that are struggling with plans to develop mega-solar and mega-wind power plants.
I hope you will refer to the example of Kannami Town." [Click the source to read the full text...]

↓X(old Twitter)

[Posted by himuro]

Wow!! Amazing

Source: https://saiene-news.com/?p=218&1

https://dialand.jp/archives/16943

Everyone's comments

• Of course!! That's it.
• Thoughts: "Kawakatsu is no longer here"
• I was surprised. Shizuoka has solar panels installed everywhere, probably due to the influence of the previous governor.
• Great!! It proves that speaking up can make a difference!
• Not only does it not regenerate anything, but it is a mega solar power plant that is destroying nature through renewable energy.
• I want this trend to continue
• I'm really glad that the mega solar project was cancelled. It's the result of the efforts of the local people coming to fruition.
• I think it was impossible from the start to carry out large-scale development in an area with a high risk of landslides.
• When I think that this is the result of local residents coming together and continuing their opposition movement, I feel moved and want to support them.
• I think this decision was made based on the lessons learned from the Atami mudslide disaster, but I hope that a similar tragedy will not be repeated.
• It is good that the project was cancelled without ignoring the voices of local residents, but they should have proceeded more carefully from the beginning.
• I think we need to be extremely careful about large-scale development in areas at risk of natural disasters.
• Examples of these kinds of residents' voices reaching the government and businesses should be taken as a reference for other regions as well.
• I think it's really wonderful that the movement to protect the environment is coming to fruition.
• Considering the risk of landslides and the impact on the environment, it's no surprise that this plan was cancelled.
• Mega solar projects are said to be environmentally friendly, but in reality there are many problems like this.
• I would like to applaud the courage of those who fought to keep our community safe.
• I once again realized how important it is for residents to speak up to prevent natural disasters.
• I think companies that try to push ahead with mega-solar projects should be looked at more closely.
• I hope that more decisions like this will be made to prevent a repeat of the tragedy of the Atami mudslide disaster.
• Any development that disregards the lives and safety of local residents should never be permitted.
• I think the government should be commended for taking action to protect the lives of residents.
• I feel like promoting renewable energy at the expense of destroying nature is putting the cart before the horse.
• Hopefully, this cancellation will encourage other regions to reconsider similar issues.
• When you hear the words mega solar and mega wind power, they sound like good things, but we mustn't forget that there are risks like these.
• I would like to express my deepest respect to the residents and those involved who fought to protect this area.

Editor B’s opinion

When I heard the news that the mega solar power plant project in Kannami Town had been cancelled, I felt that the efforts of the residents who had been engaged in the opposition movement for many years had finally been rewarded. I am deeply moved that their continued concern for natural disasters and their desire to protect the local environment have now taken shape. In particular, I believe that this result was driven by a strong determination to prevent the same tragedy from being repeated, having learned from the mudslide disaster that occurred in Atami City.

In Kannami Town, from the moment the mega-solar project was first proposed, residents had deep-rooted concerns about landslides and environmental destruction. Their opposition movement has continued to seriously appeal for the safety of the area around the planned site and the impact on residents' lives, which should serve as a lesson to many people. The residents have shown with their own experiences how dangerous it is to underestimate the risk of natural disasters as a large-scale mega-solar project moves forward.

I think the Atami mudslide disaster was a major turning point in the discussions about canceling the plan. It was an opportunity for many people, who witnessed how sudden a disaster can be and how it can take lives, to re-evaluate the risks of the mega-solar project. These real-life experiences must have had a profound impact on the residents' continued "campaign to protect lives."

It is not hard to imagine the many difficulties that were faced before the plan was cancelled. When you hear stories of those at the centre of the opposition movement being subjected to slander and almost breaking down, you realise just how hard it must have been. Nevertheless, the fact that they were able to continue their activities was due to the strong bonds between residents and their strong desire to protect the future of the area.

I also believe that the cooperation of the mayor of Kannami, other local government officials, and politicians from both ruling and opposition parties who supported the project also contributed greatly to this outcome. I believe that the decision to cancel the project was made as a result of listening carefully to the voices of local residents rather than ignoring them. I hope that this type of collaboration between the government and residents will spread to other areas across the country.

Large-scale renewable energy development plans, such as mega solar and mega wind power plants, often involve environmental impacts and safety issues. For this reason, careful decisions must be made according to the circumstances of each region. I believe that the case of Kannami Town should be used as a reference nationwide as it shows the importance of fully reflecting the voices of local residents.

We hope that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will make the appropriate decision regarding the cancellation of the FIT certification ID. For renewable energy projects to be sustainable, it is essential to gain the trust of local residents. Plans that proceed without regard for this will ultimately be unsuccessful. We hope that the cancellation of this plan will be an opportunity to increase transparency and credibility in the renewable energy business as a whole.

This news reminds us that we need to carefully consider the impact that renewable energy projects have on the environment and local residents. At the same time, it is an example that shows the power of local activism. We hope that more such efforts will be made in the future, and that the environment in which residents can live in peace will be protected in many areas.

Written by: Editorial Department B

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