In parallel with short-term electricity supply issues, the DPJ administration began to review the country’s mid- to long-term energy policies in May 2011. They focused on how to deal with the nuclear power industry and began investigating the potential of alternative, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, even though those power sources were not used widely in Japan at that point. Further, combined cycle power plants and highly efficient gas turbines are among other technologies that play a role in the energy mix. During its many decades in power, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) had been a consistent proponent of nuclear energy. When the LDP fell from power in 2009, the DPJ, riding a wave of public popularity, gained the leverage to make major changes in national policies. Still, both ANRE and the industry dragged their feet on measures to reduce dependence on nuclear power and pushed for very conservative action. They maintained that, considering the need for a stable supply of affordable electricity, resource-poor Japan could not turn away from nuclear power. Finally, in September 2012, the DPJ administration announced its Innovative Energy and Environmental Strategy and called for a nuclear phase-out by the 2030s.” After conducting numerous public opinion polls and hearings, the DPJ concluded that “a majority of the people wants to live in a society without nuclear power.” The government plans called for a combination of hydroelectric power and renewable power sources to supply 30 percent of Japan’s energy needs by 2030. Electric power companies came out against the plan, and the opacity of the nuclear power industry peaked. Less than three months after announcing the strategy, the DPJ lost the national election, and the LDP returned to power. The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said it would “rethink from scratch” the Innovative Energy and Environmental Strategy. The administration decided that survival of the nuclear power industry was critical to keeping electricity costs low and spurring an industrial recovery. Still, during the election, the LDP pledged to minimize dependence on nuclear power. The Abe administration fully appreciates the public’s anti-nuclear sentiment and realizes that reconstruction of Japan’s energy policy must be done over a considerable length of time.