Japan’s Chubu Electric bosses resign over quake data-tampering scandal

Scandal-plagued Chubu Electric Power Co. announced Monday that it will abandon its applications to have the Hamaoka nuclear power plant's reactors restarted. The company also disclosed the resignations of President Kingo Hayashi and Chairman Satoru Katsuno, who will share responsibility for manipulating seismic data during regulatory screenings for the restart of reactors Nos. 3 and 4 at the plant. Minoru Yasui, a utility director, will assume the presidency on October 1st.

An investigative committee of outside lawyers released a report on Monday that detailed the falsification of seismic data and a culture within the utility that condoned such manipulation. The committee criticized Chubu Electric for providing false explanations regarding seismic data and for covering up the issues. The utility faced significant criticism from local residents, with some expressing doubts about the plant's future viability in Omaezaki, the city where the Hamaoka plant is located.

Chubu Electric filed applications for screening to restart the two reactors between 2014 and 2015. The company has been embroiled in a series of scandals, including document falsification related to decommissioning costs at the Hamaoka plant's reactors Nos. 1 and 2, as well as overcharging customers for electricity. The incoming president, Minoru Yasui, has a background in sales and joined Chubu Electric in 1988 before becoming a director in 2026.