「２００１年のエネルギー」特集 ＶＩ 電力・ガス（発電，供給技術） Ｉ ２００１年の電気事業の展望 技術開発を中心として

Abstract

Our economic society seems to have reached a great turning Point. If we focus our attention on the electric utility industry and its surroundings, we find that situation has remarkably changed in recent years. The requests for high-quality electricity supply have been increasing. Customers' needs have been diversifying. Additionally, customers have been inclined to amenities. Consequently, those changes promote the competition among energy sources and the electric utility industries are required to consider its future business activities fundamentally.In such situation, it is important for the electric utility industry to shift its awareness from supply to sales, and to make broad technological development in the electric power use and its supply. Therefore, the electric utility industry should fully understand the great possibility and necessity of technological development in energy industries and make efforts for developing independent technologies under the long-term R & D stralegiesIn this report, at first, supply-demand outlook for electricity in Japan is discribed, which is based on the interim report (October 1987) of the Electric Utility Industry Council's Supply-Demand Working Group.At last, we explain the important fields of technological development on which the electric utility industry must place more emphasis.