(March 27): Japan will allow more use of coal-fired power plants in an effort to boost security of supply to cope with the energy shock from the war in the Middle East. South Korea is also considering more flexible use of coal power if deliveries of LNG are disrupted. Increasing coal-fired power will also help insulate Japan from uncertainty over oil imports, which is occasionally used for backup generation. The proposal is a shift, even if temporary, away from original policies that tried to limit the use of inefficient and polluting coal power plants. The nation’s power industry lowered emissions by 8% between 2005 and 2024, the figures show, as installations of clean energy expanded.

Source: The Edge Markets March 27, 2026 04:47 UTC