Japan's electricity prices in the wholesale market were mixed in the week to May 29, with east markets declining a shed and west markets clawing up. Based on the Rim Power Index (Day ahead 24 hours), the weekday power prices in the eastern market, including Hokkaido, Tohoku and Tokyo area, averaged out at 5.89 yen per kilowatt hour (kWh), down 0.21 yen/kWh or 3.4 % from the previous week, meanwhile prices in the western, made up of the Chubu, Hokuriku, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu area, at 4.55 yen/kWh, up 0.31 yen/kWh or 7.3%.

The minus premium of Hokkaido to Tokyo narrowed marginally to 0.17 yen/kWh from 0.29 yen/kWh recorded in the week ended May 22. with Hokkaido's average 5.77 yen/kWh (previous week's ave:5.85 yen) and Tokyo's 5.94 yen/kWh (6.14 yen), which are reckoned in conformity to data compiled by the Japan Electric Power Exchange (JEPX). Hokkaido prices often move at higher levels than other areas especially in the winter season. Tohoku's average dropped by 0.26 yen/kWh to 5.78 yen/kWh. Eastern markets seemed to be pulled lower by more supply from thermal power plants on top of photovoltaic power stations under blue skies.

Kansai's weekly average gained by 0.29 yen/kWh to 4.59 yen/kWh, and Kyushu's rose by 0.46 yen/kWh to 4.39 yen/kWh. The gap of the two areas narrowed to 0.20 yen/kWh from the previous week's 0.37 yen/kWh. area is the biggest market in the western Japan, and Kyushu's prices are apt to hover at less expensive levels alongside of other areas. Western suppliers appeared to tamp down output from their power plants to avert excessive supply.

On JEPX, the weekday average of System Price (Day ahead 24 hours), which were figured based on the data of 9 areas, extended gains further, increasing by 0.39 yen/kWh or 8.4% to 5.04 from the previous week's 4.65 yen/kWh, with the average volume growing by 41,926 megawatts hour (MWh) to 765,810 MWh from 723,884 MWh observed in the previous week.

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