Japan's electricity prices in the wholesale markets were apparently succumbed to "fuel clearance" in addition to warm temperatures and sunny skies in the week to March 27. Based on the Rim Power Index (Day ahead 24 hours), the weekday power prices in the eastern market, including the Hokkaido, Tohoku and Tokyo area, averaged out at 7.17 yen per kilowatt hour (kWh), down 1.01 yen/kWh or 12.3 % from the previous week, meanwhile prices in the western, made up of the Chubu, Hokuriku, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu area, at 4.35 yen/kWh, down 1.34 yen/kWh, or 23.6%.

Air covered over the Japanese archipelago grew warmer and warmer, shedding heating demand for electricity. Photovoltaic plants seemed to go along in high gear under good weather conditions. Before the end of Japanese business year, Mar 31, some participants were likely to be forced to run their thermal plants at higher-than-necessary working rates in order to reduce a high fuel inventory level that was created by the unusually warm winter.

The price difference between Hokkaido and Tokyo widened to 2.97 yen/kWh from the prior week's 2.49 yen/kWh, with Hokkaido's average 9.99 yen/kWh (previous week's ave:10.50 yen) and Tokyo's 7.02 yen/kWh (8.01 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. In the week, prices in Tohoku, where prices usually show a marked tendency to keep the same moves at the same levels as Tokyo, fell below the eastern neighbor in the week, with its average of 6.54 yen/kWh (7.79 yen/kWh).

Kansai's weekly average tumbled by 1.89 yen/kWh to 4.41 yen/kWh, and Kyushu's fell down by 1.39 yen/kWh to 4.05 yen/kWh. The gap of two areas narrowed to 0.36 yen/kWh from 0.86 yen/kWh seen in the prior week. Kansai area is the largest market in the western Japan, and Kyushu's prices are inclined to hover at less expensive levels alongside of other areas.

On JEPX, the weekday average of System Price (Day ahead 24 hours), which were figured based on the data of 9 areas, slipped by 1.23 yen/kWh or 18.5% to 5.43 yen/kWh from the previous week's 6.66yen/kWh, with the average volume decreasing to 805,196 megawatt hour (MWh) from 835,960 MWh recorded in the prior week.

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