The result is that a relic of Japan’s economic bubble is playing an unlikely role in the country’s energy transition. For the past decade, defunct golf courses have been vital to solar growth. About 9% of Japan’s utility-scale solar capacity is on former golf courses, according to an analysis of a BloombergNEF data that includes arrays with capacity of 0.9 megawatts or greater.

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[–] 3 points 3 hours ago*

As well as the dwindling subsidies, mega solar projects have faced increasing opposition from communities concerned about deforestation, landslides and changes to landscapes. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has also been vocal in her opposition to such developments.

...using all the land technically suitable for solar and wind could produce 14 times Japan’s annual electricity generation. The country has the space, but that isn’t translating into actual construction, he said.

Okay, both the headline and the article contents are wrong. There is, in fact, tons of space. The issue is not space, it's cost and permits. "Japan Has No Appetite for Solar Farms Apart from Old Golf Courses" would be more accurate.

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