Aufwind für Japans Windkraft? : Japans Windkraftsektor nach Fukushima

Wind in the Land of the Rising Sun: A Fresh Breeze after Fukushima?

Due to the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake of March 2011, the Japanese government has to greatly restructure its energy mix to compensate for the shutdown of most of Japan’s 56 nuclear power stations. Renewable energies, especially energy-efficient wind power, are promising alternatives. However, until today, Japan has not effectively harnessed wind and the installed wind power capacity accounts for just 0.3 percent of Japan’s total national electricity demand, compared with 6 percent in Germany. To increase understanding of why Japan’s policies regarding renewable energies have failed and to put the country’s wind power development into perspective, this article compares and contrasts the Japanese approach with that of Germany, the world’s leader in wind power generation until 2009. Applying the theoretical concept of »technological innovation systems« (TIS), this article analyses how wind power emerges, advances and diffuses in society (Jacobsson und Johnson 2000, Carlsson und Stankiewicz 1991, Bergek et al. 2008). It reveals that policy designs and market mechanisms have triggered and advanced the development of the wind power sector through positive feedback loops and virtuous circles in Germany, whereas Japanese institutions have hindered technological innovation through various blocking mechanisms. This article concludes that Japan will be able to produce substantial amounts of wind power given comprehensive, effective political action e.g. increased Research & Development (R&D) budgets and long-term support through feed-in tariffs.