Pending parliamentary approval, the legislative revisions approved by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet will likely go into effect on 1 April 2017, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said today.

METI described the changes as “necessary,” adding that the reforms were partly precipitated by complaints by a number of regional utilities — most notably, Kyushu Electric Power — that the rapid development of solar projects posed a threat to grid stability.

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