Japan Won’t Set Dates for Restarting 50 Idled Nuclear Reactors

Japan’s nuclear regulator said it has no fixed schedule to complete safety checks at idled atomic plants, possibly delaying reactor restarts and the supply of cheaper energy the government wants to drive economic growth.

Speculation on when some of Japan’s 50 reactors would restart increased this year as the Nuclear Regulation Authority introduced stricter safety tests in July in response to the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima. NRA Chairman Shunichi Tanaka said at the time the inspections would take about six months, suggesting some atomic plants may restart in January.