The Japanese government said Friday it plans to require power utilities to buy all electricity produced from renewable energy sources, including wind and biomass, at a designated price for a certain period from as early as April 2012.

Japanese power utilities are now obliged to buy surplus solar power from households and industrial buildings at a maximum of Y48 a kilowatt-hour for 10 years.

The planned legislation aims to boost the country's use of renewable energy sources by expanding the scope of the obligation, said Toshikazu Masuyama, energy conservation policy planning director of the Agency of Natural Resources and Energy, at a press briefing. The agency is a unit of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The Japanese government in June said it aims to generate Y10 trillion of new business by 2020 by promoting renewable energy use.

"Many potential investors are out there waiting for a clear outlook. By our disclosing this policy now, it would be easier for them to make investment decisions" with a few years before enforcement, said Masuyama.

With the legislation, the government expects the use of electricity from renewable sources to roughly triple in the first 10 years. Solar power is expected to account for more than half of it, according to METI.

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