Hokkaido more connected to renewable energy than the rest of Japan

In fiscal year 2023, more than 40% of Hokkaido’s electricity came from renewable sources, almost twice the national average and already exceeding the maximum share the central government aims to achieve by 2030.

With the use of renewable energy sources — especially wind — expected to continue to grow, local authorities have set a goal of obtaining 60 percent of their electricity from solar, onshore and offshore wind, biomass, hydropower, geothermal power and some nuclear power by 2030. The average goal for Japan as a whole is to obtain between 36 percent and 38 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by then.

While Hokkaido officials say they are eager to invest in that goal, questions remain: how much more renewable energy can the local grid absorb, who will pay to upgrade it, and how local businesses and communities will benefit from the increased use of that electricity, some of which is to be sent to Honshu.