On October 15th, the US Department of Commerce along with Skipping Stone, a US energy market services company, hosted a half-day workshop in Washington, DC on opportunities for US companies to participate in Japan’s Electricity Market Reform.
The workshop began with remarks by Ms. Maureen Smith, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Commerce and Mr. Junichiro Kuroda, the Minister for Economy, Trade, Industry and Energy at the Embassy of Japan. This was followed by an overview of the energy market reform underway in Japan, presented by Mr. Kaname Ogawa, Director, Electricity Market Office, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Mr. Peter Weigand, Chairman and CEO of Skipping Stone, followed with a presentation on opportunities for U.S. companies resulting from energy market reform.
The featured guest speaker of the event was Mr. Hirokazu Yamaguchi, Executive General Manager at TEPCO International Business and Affairs. Mr. Yamaguchi described TEPCO’s new Open Innovation Program. The Program is a process led by TEPCO in which they will partner with international energy technology and services companies to enter the restructured Japan electricity market.
Following Mr. Yamaguchi were presentations on Japan Market Entry Assistance Programs by Mr. Daiki Nakajima, Japan External Trade Organization, Mr. Danius Barzdukas, U.S. Department of Commerce and Mr. Clint Brewer, U.S. Commercial Service. Closing remarks were presented by Mr. John McCaslin, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce.
For more information about the business opportunities in Japan for international energy technology and services companies or to receive copies of the workshop presentations, readers may contact Ross Malme, Partner, Skipping Stone at tel. 770-676-9531 or email: