Japanese Government Effectively Nationalizes TEPCO with ¥1 Trillion Bailout

On July 31, 2012, the Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund injected ¥1 trillion (~$12.5 billion) into TEPCO, giving the government a 50.11% stake in the company and effectively nationalizing it. TEPCO had faced bankruptcy due to the combination of shuttering all nuclear plants (losing ~30% of Japan's electricity generation), paying billions in compensation to evacuees, and funding cleanup operations. The nationalization was designed to ensure TEPCO could continue as a going concern while funding its obligations, but critics questioned whether TEPCO management accountability had been adequately addressed.