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Message from the Chairman

Message from the Chairman

In May 2023, JEPIC celebrated its 65th anniversary. Our organization conducts research on the electric power industry in foreign countries and cooperates with foreign electric utilities and other related organizations with the mission of contributing to the sound operation and development of Japan’s electric power industry, economic growth, and improvement of people’s lives, as well as promoting international cooperation. We have been able to carry on our activities through the continuous support of our member companies and the tireless efforts of our staff, and I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all concerned.
The global electric power industry is in the midst of a major transformation. Decarbonization, which is key for addressing climate change problems, has become one of the most critical challenges for countries around the world. Energy companies, including electric power companies, play a major role in decarbonizing, enhancing various technologies and measures from the upstream to downstream sectors. In particular, it is noteworthy that further expansion of renewable energy and nuclear power, development of hydrogen energy, decarbonizing fossil fuel usage, network upgrades and expansion, and improvement of electricity markets have been progressing rapidly worldwide.
At the same time, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has been protracted and increasingly chaotic and has had a tremendous impact on the global energy landscape. Policies for reducing Russian influence on international markets, termed "de-Russianization," has become a key strategy for energy security in Western countries as well as Japan. However, because Russia is one of the world's leading producers of fossil fuels and is also expanding internationally in the nuclear power sector, many countries are not following this policy. As a result, global energy supply and demand will likely continue to be unstable. This is reflected in the prices of natural gas and other energy resources, which significantly impact electricity market prices.
In this ever-changing global situation, JEPIC will continue to make efforts to help member companies in their strategic planning and business development by focusing our research on what electric utilities in foreign countries consider to be priority issues and the types of initiatives they are taking and by actively disseminating information that meets our members’ needs. In our international cooperation projects, we will make full use of the human networks we have built up over the years to further deepen and develop our relationships with countries in Asia and elsewhere.
We believe that the active performance and growth of our staff members directly enhance the value of JEPIC. Therefore, we will continue to operate the organization in a way that values human resources.
June 2023
Motomi IKI
Chairman & CEO

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