SAPPORO, Japan -- Hokkaido carries the potential to supply Tokyo and other parts of Japan with offshore wind energy, but the lack of adequate transmission capacity has kept the northernmost prefecture from becoming a hub for the renewable resource.
Japan looks to allocate 5 billion yen ($43.4 million) in this fiscal year's supplementary budget toward a feasibility study for undersea cables that could help Hokkaido become a destination for offshore wind operators. The prefecture enjoys wide coastlines and strong winds over coastal waters.
