Japan is a laggard on renewable energy, ranking well below the top 10 countries in both annual installations of renewable equipment and total renewable generating capacity. That, however, is set to change under a new energy policy that’s been taking shape since last year’s meltdowns at Fukushima. Some major projects are being planned. Among them are a 200-megawatt solar installation that Tokyo-based Softbank announced late last month. Meanwhile, Japanese nuclear-reactor supply and service firms such as Toshiba, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Hitachi have stepped up their renewable energy sales targets and investments. The changes are happening because all but one of Japan’s 54 nuclear reactors are off-line. And they are not coming back soon, because municipal and provincial authorities—facing strong anti-nuclear sentiment—must approve the restart of reactors following safety tests. “The Japanese central government has essentially thrown in the towel on getting nuclear restarts,” says Andrew DeWit, an energy policy expert at Rikkyo University. Whether the country will be able to progress as fast as many would like remains to be seen. Government-mandated premium prices for renewable energy, set to go into effect in July, have yet to be disclosed. Another open question is whether Japan’s electric power sector, including…