Overview
- The Niigata prefectural assembly began deliberations in its final 2025 session, with a vote anticipated by December 22 on whether to authorize the restart.
- TEPCO said it could bring the 1,356-megawatt reactor online as early as January if approval is secured, which would be its first restart since Fukushima and would add about 2% to Tokyo-region supply.
- During a media tour, the utility conducted loss-of-power cooling drills using reservoir water and detailed hydrogen-mitigation equipment and new biometric access controls.
- Keidanren chairman Yoshinobu Tsutsui inspected the plant and said multiple systems and countermeasures reflect lessons learned from the 2011 disaster.
- Local opinion remains divided as residents and some officials point to evacuation capability and trust in TEPCO as ongoing concerns.