Japan Considers Extending Its 60-Year Limit On Nuclear Power Plants

Amid an energy crunch that served a severe blow to Japan’s economy, the government in Tokyo is considering extending the lives of the country’s nuclear power plant fleet beyond the maximum current lifespan of 60 years. According to local reports cited by Reuters, the plan is to remove the limits on nuclear power plants’ lifetimes as a whole, which would open the door to serial extensions of these lifetimes. The changes will need to be approved by the Nuclear Regulation Authority. Japan has 33 nuclear reactors, of which four have…