Video: Japan Set to Power Up Nuclear Reactor Amid Protests

Kansai Electric Power Co. Ltd. (KEPCO) told CNN Wednesday that the No. 3 reactor at the country’s Ohi Nuclear Power Plant will be activated on July 1 and start providing electricity to western Japan — which includes Osaka, Japan’s second biggest city by July 4. Ohi’s No. 4 reactor is also scheduled to resume operations by July 24.

All 50 commercial nuclear reactors in Japan have been offline since May 5 for safety checks. The government has been conducting simulation tests for restarting its nuclear reactors in response to public concerns over their safety in the wake of the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant last spring.

Before the March 11 disaster, Japan had relied on nuclear energy for about 30% of its electricity needs, according to government figures.

Fukushima plant operator: We weren’t prepared

Read More HERE