Kyushu Electric, which serves the southern island of the same name, said local authorities had told it to halt the process after a massive earthquake and tsunami caused a series of explosions at a nuclear plant in the northeast.

Kyushu Electric operates two nuclear plants in Japan and was planning to build a reactor with an output capacity of 1.59 million kilowatts at the one in southern Kagoshima prefecture in 2014.

"We have suspended the legal procedures for now," said company spokesman Minoru Yasueda.

"Kagoshima's prefectural governor has told our company that the situation does not warrant us to go ahead with the process. Our company has complied with the request."

Prime Minister Naoto Kan has signaled his readiness to review the country's policy of building at least 14 nuclear reactors by 2030 to add to the 55 it already has in the wake of the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Earth's Gravity Revealed In Unprecedented Detail Follow The GOCE Results Press Briefing Live NASA Glenn "Drops" Student Microgravity Experiments Wormholes linking stars theorized S.Africa to invest $3.7 bln in green energy: minister Sacramento Welcomes 12,600 Solar Panels Legends Business Group Adds Solar Charger Controllers DOE Finalizes Large Loan Guarantee For BrightSource Energy Manitoba wind farm comes online Alstom Announces Commercial Operation Of First North American Wind Farms Vestas unveils new offshore turbine US hopes to resolve China wind turbine rift Japan's post-disaster economy faces electric shock Japan sets power-saving targets Mekong Countries To Convene Additional Meeting On Xayaburi Project Facebook makes data centers greener and cheaper OPEC raises 2011 world oil demand growth forecast Turkish gas ambitions derail EU pipelines Shale gas as dirty as oil, coal for warming: study Outside View: Gas prices and consumers Telescope Ferrets Out Planet-Hunting Targets White Dwarfs Could Be Fertile Ground For Other Earths NASA Announces 2011 Carl Sagan Fellows Report Identifies Priorities For Planetary Science 2013-2022 Indian navy ponders new minesweepers Russia Floats Out New Missile Frigate For Caspian Sea Branson unveils flying sub to explore ocean depths DARPA Anti-Submarine Warfare Game Goes Live Next Mars Rover Nears Completion Mars In Spain Study Of 'Ruiz Garcia' Rock Completed Next Mars Rover Gets A Test Taste Of Mars Conditions