On May 17 Kyushu Electric Power announced plans to establish a Geothermal Power Center within the Power Generation Division in order to bolster geothermal power initiatives. After the meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011, the government loosened restrictions on building geothermal power plants in national parks, and with the establishment of a fixed rate system last July, interest in renewable energy has increased. Amid this backdrop, Kyuden plans to begin a new survey for geothermal energy on the northern side of Mt. Heijidake, a mountain that sits on the borders of Yufu City, Taketa City and Kokonoe Town in Oita Prefecture. The Geothermal Power Center, formed by reorganizing the Geothermal Power Group, will add six more staff members and focus efforts on new projects in addition to the long-term maintenance of Kyuden’s five existing geothermal power plants. At a press conference in Tokyo, President Uryu expressed his motivations for geothermal energy by saying, “It will take some time, but we would like to boost our geothermal power output in Kyushu to 700,000 kilowatts” Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, May 20
