Ohito Subaru Hydroelectric Power Plant for Saving Terrace

Since 1970s, the Japanese government prioritized nuclear energy in its energy policy. However, after a huge earthquake occurred in March 2011 which eventually destroyed nuclear power plants in Fukushima Prefecture, the Japanese government was required to change its energy policy. After the huge earthquake, all of the Japanese nuclear plants were eventually shut down. Therefore, the Japanese government was forced to consider renewable energy sources as one of the main energy sources. There are a variety types of renewable energies; however, small hydropower energy has gained significant attention because they have superior characteristics compared to the other renewable energy types. First, it is produced and consumed locally (or “Chisan-Chisho”), and it does not produce any greenhouse gases. Also, small hydroelectric power plants produce constant, weather-independent energy and can be run for long term periods, potentially longer than 100 years. Finally, there are many potential sites around Japan. The author selected a small hydroelectric power plant in Hinokage Town in the Miyazaki Prefecture as a case study. In 2016, the village people founded an agricultural coop called “The Ohito Power Generation Agricultural Cooperative” and built a small hydroelectric power plant in their village utilizing previously deployed irrigation canals in 2017. The cooperative is selling the produced energy via the Feed-in- Tariff scheme to a regional energy company. As a result, the village uses some of the sales revenues to maintain the water canal, fund town hall activities, and preserve traditionalfolklore theater practices.