Taishi Sugiyama of the Canon Institute for Global Studies warned at the House of Councillors Environment Committee that the mass introduction of solar power would sharply raise generation costs and impose a massive burden on Japanese households and the nation as a whole. This essay reflects on his warning and criticizes Japan’s misguided renewable energy policies.

As you know, I have published almost all of Taishi Sugiyama’s essays in this column.
Just now, when I saw the following post on social media, I somehow felt deeply nostalgic.
Needless to say, he too is one of the national treasures, indeed one of the supreme national treasures, as defined by Saichō.
At the House of Councillors Environment Committee, Taishi Sugiyama, a witness from the Canon Institute for Global Studies, stated:
“If solar power is introduced on a massive scale, the cost of power generation will rise by as much as 30 yen per kWh compared with nuclear and thermal power.
This will increase the electricity bill of an ordinary household by 140,000 yen per year, and impose an additional burden of 30 trillion yen on Japan as a whole.
The mass introduction of solar power should be stopped immediately.”
He is absolutely right.
Down with the Renewable Energy Parliamentary League, “the enemy of Japan.”