Tokyo, March 11 (Jiji Press) -- Japan's government has compiled a policy to make full use of nuclear power, a major shift from its stance of reducing the country's dependence on such energy, adopted in the wake of the triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station 14 years ago.

As reasons for the about-face, the government cited the need to ensure stable electricity supplies and secure carbon-free energy sources.

But it is uncertain whether the policy shift can obtain public understanding, with many people still concerned about the safety of nuclear power following the severe accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. plant in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, which was heavily damaged in the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami.

In September 2012, the administration of then Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan adopted a new energy strategy that sought to end nuclear power generation in the 2030s.

After the Liberal Democratic Party returned to power shortly afterward, however, the administration of then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reversed this policy. A basic energy policy adopted by the Abe government in 2014 described nuclear power as an important baseload power source while noting that the country's dependence on nuclear power should be reduced as much as possible.

In 2015, the No. 1 unit at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, became the first reactor to be approved for reactivation under new nuclear safety standards established after the 2011 nuclear disaster.

Current Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had been cautious about bringing idled nuclear reactors back online. When he announced his bid to run for the LDP presidency last August, Ishiba said he would make maximum efforts to reduce active nuclear reactors close to zero.

But he changed his stance once he became prime minister in October.

In his policy address at parliament in January this year, Ishiba said that the government will promote the use of carbon-free power sources such as renewable and nuclear energy.

In a revised basic energy policy adopted last month, the government said it will make maximum use of nuclear power while removing the statement that Japan would reduce its reliance on this energy source. The basic policy also said the rebuilding of aging nuclear reactors will be promoted.

Ishiba has taken over the policies of his predecessor, Fumio Kishida, who called for the long-term use of nuclear plants under the slogan of decarbonization. Ishiba's nuclear policies are "groundbreaking," a senior official of an economy-related government agency said.

In the revised basic policy, the government raised its target for the proportion of nuclear energy in Japan's total electricity generation in fiscal 2040 to 20 pct, in anticipation of a surge in electricity demand due to the construction of new data centers and the expansion of existing ones.

This target "can be achieved if all of the country's 36 nuclear reactors, including those under construction, are in operation," a government official said. At present, 14 reactors are active in the country.

There are views within the government that public understanding of its nuclear policy is increasing at a time when prices in the nation are surging, the official said, noting that electricity bills are lower in regions that receive power generated by nuclear reactors.

While parliamentary discussions on the Ishiba administration's nuclear policy are far from active, some opposition parties have accused the government of betraying the public.

In addition, the government has received many public comments opposing the revised basic energy policy, with some saying that the government is not making good use of the lessons learned from the 2011 nuclear accident.

Public distrust of nuclear power remains strong, and dispelling people's concerns has been a challenge for the government, pundits say.