TOKYO - Japan should aspire to phase out nuclear power completely, its energy minister said on Friday, even as the government struggles to persuade a wary public that it is safe to restart reactors after the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years. Yukio Edano, whose trade portfolio makes him responsible for energy, couched his remark as a personal and not necessarily realistic view - though it could still anger utilities and industries eager to see nuclear power bounce back. "The government's policy is now to reduce reliance on nuclear power as low as possible," Edano said, adding that it should in future account for less than the third of national electricity it supplied before last year's Fukushima crisis. On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami wrecked the Fukushima nuclear power complex north of Tokyo, causing meltdowns, sending radiation into the air and forcing 80,000 people to evacuate from the area. "I'd like to see the reliance on nuclear cut to zero. I'd like to have a society work without nuclear as early as possible," Edano told a news conference in energy policy. "I myself think it should be reduced as soon as possible. But as to in reality how quickly it can be reduced or whether it will ultimately be reduced to zero - I want to judge based on discussion by experts." The government is crafting a new energy mix in light of Fukushima, with experts' options for atomic energy ranging from zero to 35 percent of electricity supply. In 2010, a government plan had called for boosting that to more than 50 percent. Japan's nuclear industry is on its knees: all but one of its 54 reactors are offline, mostly idled as they came due for maintenance. None can be restarted until each clears a safety review and gets the nod from local governments. The government is keen to get some reactors restarted soon to avoid power cuts in the summer when electricity demand peaks. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's administration is being buffeted by conflicting pressures, with big businesses urging it to get reactors back on line and keep atomic power in the energy mix to keep the economy afloat, while many voters worry about safety after the Fukushima crisis.
