TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Unit 6 Resumes Commercial Operations — First Since 2011

TEPCO resumed full commercial operations at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant Unit 6 on April 16, 2026, marking the company's first commercial nuclear power generation since the Fukushima disaster approximately 14 years earlier. The restart follows a difficult path: the reactor first came online January 20–21, 2026 but shut down due to a control rod alarm; it was restarted February 9, 2026 and began supplying power to the grid March 22, 2026 before achieving full commercial status. The 1,356 MW unit is located in Niigata Prefecture, 250 km from Fukushima Daiichi. Fifteen of Japan's 32 operable reactors are now operating. Japan's long-term energy policy targets nuclear at approximately 20% of electricity supply by FY2040.