Japan to Tighten Regulations on Mega Solar Power Plants over Nature, Disaster Risk Concerns

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:53 JST, October 30, 2025

The government plans to tighten regulations on so-called mega solar power plants related to nature destruction and disaster risk.

A liaison conference comprising five ministries will compile potential measures regarding mega solar power plants, such as amendments to relevant laws and the strengthening of monitoring systems, as soon as this year. The five ministries include the Environment Ministry and the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry.

Problems regarding mega solar power plants have arisen in Japan in recent years. Multiple mega solar power plants are being built in areas around Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, resulting in deforestation and other issues. In September, the Kushiro municipal assembly in Hokkaido approved an ordinance regulating the construction of mega solar power plants.

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to expedite the formulation of measures on the issue. Takaichi’s stance was shown in a document exchanged by the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party upon forming the coalition government. “We will introduce measures to impose legal regulations on mega solar power plants at the ordinary Diet session in 2026,” the document stated.

The government is set to begin full-fledged examinations into how 16 laws and ordinances related to land development and the conservation of natural environments and landscapes can be applied to problematic projects. The government plans to revise operational guidelines and establish new penalties if necessary.

The Environment Ministry is considering revising the Law on Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which prohibits the capture of rare species without permission. It is mulling expanding the law’s scope to cover renewable energy projects where there are concerns of the impact on ecosystems.

The economy ministry plans to expand the scope of a system in which government agencies and other organizations share information about operators of renewable energy projects that have violated laws, after receiving reports from local governments.

Currently, the system targets operators certified by the national government, such as those under the feed-in tariff program for renewable energies, but it will be expanded to also include non-certified operators. An operator being questioned over mega solar power projects in Kushiro was not certified.

Additionally, the ministry seeks to enhance a monitoring system that investigates violations based on such reports.