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The country is nearing giving the go-ahead for the restart of the globe's most sizable nuclear power plant—marking the initial occasion it would be in use since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Hideyo Hanazumi, governor of the Niigata region where the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power plant is located, stated he has given the green light for the partial restart.

The initiative to recommence functioning at the station, run by the Tokyo Electric Power Company, still needs authorization from the regional legislative body and Japan's nuclear regulator before it can proceed.

If approved, it would be the inaugural occasion Tokyo Electric Power would be authorized to resume atomic reactor activities in Japan since its Fukushima plant suffered a core meltdown after a massive wave.

Local Residents Divided on Resumption

Residents in Niigata are split over whether the station should be reactivated or not.

Hanazumi informed a press briefing on the end of the week that his ruling would be debated in the final month of the year at a regional assembly, where he would request the body's consent.

The consent would be for the recommencement of activities at the facility's sixth reactor, then the seventh reactor.

Context and Corporate Recovery Plan

The restart of activities at the facility is part of Tepco's corporate recovery strategy following the Fukushima meltdown, which was triggered by a powerful seismic event and huge tidal wave.

When the facility's atomic cores were inundated by the tsunami, it resulted in radiation to leak out and forced a large population to be evacuated from the area.

The Japanese government ordered all its nuclear power plant reactors to be deactivated in that year following the catastrophe. Afterward, fourteen units have been reactivated.

The company was mandated to pay huge amounts in damages to those impacted and is also paying for the facility's shutdown expenses.

Local Opinion and Concerns

A study released by the region last month suggested that 50% of its locals supported the facility's resumption, while nearly half were against it. It also revealed that almost seven in ten of individuals in the area were concerned about the utility managing the station.

Power Goals and Ahead

The recent ruling illustrates a interest among some in Japan to progress to expanded reliance of nuclear power to cut dependence on fossil fuels, as the nation seeks a target of carbon neutrality.