The government of Osaka Prefecture announced on January 11, 2008 that it would introduce a new bidding system for its purchase of electricity starting from fiscal 2008. This new green strategy for electricity procurement includes its own standards for evaluating the environmental efforts of power suppliers. Under the new system, environment-friendly suppliers are given priority and only power suppliers that meet the prefecture's standards can tender bids.

The basic evaluation items include the CO2 emission coefficient value of the supplier (60 points), utilization of unused energy such as waste heat of its power plant or factory (10), introduction of new energy sources (10), issuance of environmental reports (10), and acquisition of certification for environmental management systems (10). Companies with 70 points or above can bid on contracts to supply electricity to Osaka Prefecture. Additional points may be given to companies with fewer than 70 points for other environmental efforts such as the purchase of green power.

Elsewhere in Japan, the Ministry of the Environment has introduced an environment-conscious bidding system for power supplying its office buildings. Under this system, the potential CO2 emission reductions possible from different suppliers are counted. The Tokyo metropolitan government has been purchasing green power and other environment-conscious power for 5 percent of its electricity procurement through a bidding system since fiscal 2007. Kanagawa Prefecture and Yokohama City evaluate companies' purchase of green power as a factor in allowing their participation in tender bidding.


- Aichi Prefecture New Tender Requires Local Power Supplier to Cut 416 Tons of CO2 Emissions per Year (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1972-e

Posted: 2008/06/24 12:06:03 AM

TAG Energy , Global warming , Local government , System/Law