Quake-hit Hokkaido sees smaller risk of rolling blackouts in Sept.

The risk of rolling blackouts in quake-hit Hokkaido next week or thereafter has fallen as additional electricity supply has been secured to cover part of the shortfall resulting from the suspension of a key thermal power plant, the industry minister said Tuesday.As power supply has yet to return to normal, however, the government will continue to ask households and companies in Japan's northernmost main island to cut back on electricity in the aftermath of the powerful earthquake last Thursday that triggered a prefecture-wide blackout.The government has set a target of achieving a 20 percen…READ FULL ARTICLE