The Tokyo Electric Power Company

Infobox Company
name = The Tokyo Electric Power Company

type = Public KK (tyo|9501)
foundation = May 1, 1951
location_city = Tokyo
location_country = JPN
origins = The Tokyo Electric Light Company, Incorporated (founded in 1889)
key_people = Tsunehisa Katsumata, President
area_served = prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Tochigi, Gunma, Ibaraki, Yamanashi, and eastern area of Shizuoka
industry = Energy
services = Electric generation, transmission, and distribution
revenue = gain¥5308.0 billion (consolidated)
operating_income = gain¥576.2 billion (consolidated)
net_income = gain¥310.3 billion (consolidated)
num_employees = 38,235 (consolidated)
homepage = [http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/index-e.html www.tepco.co.jp]

nihongo|The Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated|東京電力株式会社|Tōkyō Denryoku Kabushiki-kaisha|extra=tyo|9501, also known as nihongo|Toden|東電|Tōden or TEPCO, is an electric utility servicing Japan's Kantō region, Yamanashi Prefecture, and the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture. This area includes Tokyo. Its headquarters are located in Chiyoda, Tokyo and international branch offices exist in Washington, D.C. and London.

In 2008, Tokyo Electric, forced to shut the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant after an earthquake, posted its first loss in 28 years. [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=a7TSwanL7qHg&refer=asia# Tokyo Electric Has First Loss in 28 Years on Shutdown] ]

Corporate Overview

* Capital stock: ¥676,424,197,050
* Total outstanding shares: 1,352,876,531
* Number of shareholders: 821,841
* Electricity sales (FY 2004): 92,592 million kWh (lighting), 194,148 million kWh (power), 286,741 million kWh (total)
* Peak demand: 64.3 million kW (July 24, 2001)
* Number of customers (ending March 31, 2005): 25,120,000 / 83.89 million kW (lighting), 2,630,000 thousand / 39.75 million kWh (power), 27,740,000 / 123.64 million kW (total)
* Revenue from electricity sales: ¥4,637.2 billion yen (FY 2004)

Power Stations and Generation Capacity

* Hydro: 160 / 8.521 million kW
* Thermal (Oil, Coal, LN(P) G, Geothermal): 26 / 36.995 million kW
* Nuclear: 3 / 17.308 million kW
* Wind: 1 / 0.001 million kW
* Total: 190 / 62.825 million kW

Position in the industry

TEPCO is the largest electric utility in Japan and the third largest electric utility in the world after Électricité de France and Germany's E.ON

Management and Finance

Generation

The company's power generation consists of two main networks. Fossil fuel power plants around Tokyo Bay are used for peak load supply and nuclear reactors in Fukushima and Niigata Prefecture provide base load supply. Additionally, hydroelectric plants in the mountainous areas outside the Kanto Plain, despite their relatively small capacity compared to fossil fuel and nuclear generation, remain important in providing peak load supply. The company also purchases electricity from other regional or wholesale electric power companies like Tohoku Electric Power Co., J-POWER, and Japan Atomic Power Company.

Transmission and Distribution

The company has built a radiated and circular grid between power plants and urban/industrial demand areas. Each transmission line is designed to transmit electricity at ultra-high-voltage (66-500kV) between power plants and substations. Normally transmission lines are strung between towers, but within the Tokyo metropolitan area high-voltage lines are located underground.

From substations, electricity is transmitted via the distribution grid at high-voltage (22-6kV). For high-voltage supply to large buildings and factories, distribution lines are directly connected to customers' electricity systems. In this case, customers must purchase and set up transformers and other equipment to run electric appliances. For low voltage supply to houses and small shops, distribution lines are first connected to the company's transformers (seen on utility poles and utility boxes), converted to 100/200V, and finally connected to end users.

TEPCO's transmission and distribution infrastructure is notable as one of the most reliable electricity networks in the world. Blackout frequency and average recovery time compares favorably with other electric companies in Japan as well as within other developed countries.

History

The nine regional electric companies including TEPCO were established in 1951 with the end of the state-run electric industry regime for the wartime national mobilization.

In the 1950s, the company's abiding goal was to facilitate a rapid recovery from the infrastructure devastation witnessed World War II. After the recovery period, the company had to expand its supply capacity to catch up with the country's rapid economic growth by developing fossil fuel power plants and a more efficient transmission network.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the company faced the challenges of increased environmental pollution and oil shocks. TEPCO began addressing environmental concerns through expansion of its LNG fueled power plant network as well as greater reliance on nuclear generation. The first nuclear unit at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant began operational generation on March 26, 1970.

During the 1980s and 1990s, the widespread use of air-conditioners and IT/OA appliances resulted a gap between day and night electricity demand. In order to reduce surplus generation capacity and increase capacity utilization, TEPCO developed pumped storage hydroelectric power plants and promoted thermal storage units.

Recently, TEPCO is expected to play a key role in achieving Japan's targets for reduced carbon dioxide emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. It also faces difficulties related to the trend towards deregulation in Japan's electric industry as well as low power demand growth. In light of these circumstances, TEPCO launched an extensive sales promotion campaign called 'Switch!', promoting all-electric housing in order to both achieve the more efficient use of its generation capacity as well as erode the market share of gas companies.

In 2008, Tokyo Electric, forced to shut the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant after an earthquake, posted its first loss in 28 years as oil and gas costs soared.

candal

In August 29, 2002, the government of Japan revealed that TEPCO was guilty of false reporting in routine governmental inspection of its nuclear plants and systematic concealment of plant safety incidents. Following these revelations, TEPCO was subjected to wide-spread public criticism and faced the most serious situation in company history. During this time there was an attempt to indicate a wave of high-level resignations although no actual attempt was made to identify or punish the workers who were responsible for deliberate data falsification. All the "high-level" resignations continued to be employed by the company as "consultants". Upon taking over leadership responsibilities, TEPCO's new president issued a public commitment that the company would take all the drastic countermeasures necessary to prevent fraud and restore the nation's confidence. By the end of 2005, generation at suspended plants had been restarted, with government approval.

In 2007, however, the company announced to the public that an internal investigation had revealed a large number of unreported incidents. These included an unexpected unit criticality in 1978 and additional systematic false reporting, which hadn't been uncovered during the 2002 inquiry. Along with scandals at other Japanese electric companies, this failure to ensure corporate compliance resulted in strong public criticism of Japan's electric power industry and the nation's nuclear energy policy. Again the company made no effort to identify those responsible.

Offices

Hydro

Tepco has a total of 160 hydroelectric stations with a total capacity of 8,520 MW

*Pumped-storage hydroelectricity（500 MW and up）
** Nagawado Dam (623 MW)
** Takase Dam (1,280 MW)
** Tanbara Dam (1,200 MW)
** Sabigawa Dam (900 MW)
** Imashi Dam (1,050 MW)
** Kazunogawa Dam (800 MW)
** Kanagawa Hydroelectric Generating Station (2,820 MW)

Electric vehicle batteries

Under the lead of an organization affiliated with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, The Tokyo Electric Power Company is workingout next-gen car battery norms [ [http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=japan-firms-to-work-out-n Japan firms to work out next-gen car battery norms: Scientific American ] ] .

See also

* Battery electric vehicle
* EcoCute
* Subaru R1e

References

External links

* " [http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/corpinfo/ir/pdf-4/ar2006-e.pdf Annual Report 2006] ". Tokyo Electric Power Company. March 31, 2005.
* [http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/index-e.html Tepco website] (English)
* [http://www.tepco.co.jp/ Tepco website] (Japanese)