Japan revises power curb target to avoid summer blackouts

TOKYO: Japan plans to ask all users in areas served by quake-affected Tokyo Electric Power Co and Tohoku Electric Power Co to cut their peak consumption by 15 percent for this summer to avoid rolling blackouts that could hobble the economy, the trade minister said on Thursday.

The trade ministry earlier this month announced draft power reduction targets for Tokyo and north Japan that would require large-lot users to cut peak consumption by 25 percent, small-lot users by 20 percent and households by 15 to 20 percent.

But Tokyo Electric has since revised up its power supply estimate for the summer after installing more generating capacity.