Article 1The purpose of this Act is, given that energy is essential for improving the stability of citizens' lives and for maintaining and developing the national economy and that its use has a major impact on the local and global environment, to promote measures on energy supply and demand on a long-term, comprehensive and systematic basis by laying down the basic policy and clarifying the responsibilities of the State and local public entities with respect to measures on energy supply and demand and by prescribing matters that form the basis of measures on energy supply and demand, thereby contributing to the preservation of the local and global environment and to the sustainable development of the Japanese and global economy and society.

Article 2(1)With regard to the matter of securing a stable supply of energy, given that the international situation regarding world energy involves unstable factors and for other reasons, measures must be taken with the basic aim of diversifying energy supply sources, increasing energy self-sufficiency and achieving stability in the energy sector by undertaking such measures as reducing excessive dependence on specific geographic regions for the import of primary energy sources such as oil, promoting the development of energy resources that are material to Japan, providing for energy transportation systems, promoting the stockpiling of energy and energy use efficiency, and implementing appropriate crisis management concerning energy.

(2)With regard to the matter of supplying an energy source that is extremely difficult to either substitute with other energy resources or to store, measures must be taken to specially secure its reliability and stability.

Article 3With regard to energy supply and demand, measures must be promoted to realize energy supply and demand that allow for the prevention of global warming and the preservation of the local environment, as well as to contribute to the formation of a recycling society by improving energy consumption efficiency, by such measures as promoting the conversion to non-fossil-fuel energy use such as solar and wind power and the efficient use of fossil fuels.

Article 4With regard to economic structural reforms concerning energy supply and demand such as the liberalization of energy markets, deregulation and other similar measures must be promoted in a manner such that business operators can fully demonstrate their initiative and such that creativity and the interests of energy users are sufficiently secured, while giving due consideration to the policy objectives prescribed in the preceding two Articles.

Article 5(1)The State is responsible for comprehensively formulating and implementing measures on energy supply and demand in conformance with the basic policy on measures on energy supply and demand prescribed in Article 2 through the preceding Article (hereinafter referred to as the "basic policy").

(2)When using energy, the State must endeavor to reduce the environmental load by using goods that contribute to reducing the environmental load associated with energy use and taking other relevant measures.

Article 6(1)The local public entities are responsible for taking measures complying with the measures of the State as well as formulating and implementing measures that suit the actual situation of their areas with regard to energy supply and demand, in conformance to the basic policy.

(2)When using energy, the local public entities must endeavor to reduce the environmental load by using goods that contribute to reducing the environmental load associated with energy use and taking other relevant measures.

Article 7When conducting their business activities, business operators are responsible for endeavoring to use energy efficiently and to use energy in a manner that gives consideration to stable supply of energy and preservation of the local and global environment, by demonstrating their initiative and creativity, and for cooperating with the measures on energy supply and demand implemented by the State and local public entities.

Article 8When using energy, citizens are to endeavor to make rational use of such energy and to utilize new energy resources.

Article 9The State, local public entities, as well as business operators, citizens and private bodies set up by business operators or citizens are to understand each other's respective roles concerning energy supply and demand and cooperate with each other.

Article 10The government must make legislative, fiscal or financial measures or other measures that are necessary for implementing measures on energy supply and demand.

Article 11Every year, the government must submit to the Diet a report on the general situation regarding the measures it has taken in relation to energy supply and demand.

Article 12(1)The government must formulate a basic plan on energy supply and demand (hereinafter referred to as the "basic energy plan") in order to promote measures on energy supply and demand on a long-term, comprehensive and systematic basis.

(2)The basic energy plan is to prescribe the following matters:

(3)By hearing the opinions of the heads of the relevant administrative organs and hearing the opinions of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry must formulate a draft of the basic energy plan and seek a cabinet decision thereon.

(4)When the cabinet decision prescribed in the preceding paragraph has been made, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry must promptly report the basic energy plan to the Diet and publicize the plan.

(5)The government must review the basic energy plan at least once every three years by taking into consideration the changes in the situation concerning energy and based on an evaluation of the effects of measures concerning energy, and if it finds necessary, make changes to the plan.

(6)The provisions of paragraph (3) and paragraph (4) apply mutatis mutandis to making changes to the basic energy plan.

(7)The government must endeavor to take necessary measures for the smooth implementation of the basic energy plan by, for example, appropriating in its budget each fiscal year, to the extent permitted within the limits of the nation's finances, funds necessary to ensure payment of the expenses required for implementation of the plan.

Article 13In order to contribute to stability of world energy supply and demand and to preservation of the global environment such as prevention of global warming associated with energy use, the State is to endeavor to take the necessary measures for promoting cooperation with international energy organizations and environmental preservation organizations, international exchanges of researchers and other relevant persons, participation in international research and development activities, proposal of international joint actions, bilateral and multilateral cooperation in energy development and other international cooperation.

Article 14The State is to endeavor to actively disclose information on energy for allowing citizens to increase their understanding of and interest in energy through all kinds of opportunities, and is to endeavor to take the necessary measures for raising public awareness of appropriate energy use and disseminating knowledge of energy, while considering utilization of nonprofit organizations.