Japan's Nuclear Troubles Could Derail Its Economic Plans

On Sept. 15, the last operational nuclear reactor in Japan will be shut down for routine maintenance, which may leave Japan without nuclear power for the remainder of 2013. Meanwhile, the Nuclear Regulation Authority is becoming increasingly involved in the cleanup and containment efforts at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant. With its nuclear plants idle, Japan will be forced to continue relying on expensive energy imports, which, combined with rising electricity prices in Japan, could threaten Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plans for an economic revival.