Japan’s richest man unveils scheme for $26 billion renewable energy supergrid

By Dan Nosowitz

Masayoshi Son, entrepreneurial founder of Softbank, Japan’s third-largest mobile network, and according to Forbes, the nation’s richest man, unveiled a vague but undeniably ambitious plan to completely change Japan’s energy infrastructure. His plan, which relies heavily on wind and geothermal power and abandons nuclear, would, he says, shift the majority of Japan’s energy sources to renewable energy by 2030.

Son, who’s known in Japan for his ballsy, high-risk ventures–he acquired a floundering mobile network and became the exclusive Japanese carrier for the iPhone and iPad–has already created a foundation for the “supergrid,” which he says will eventually cost about $26 billion to create. He’s already put about $13 million of his own money into the pot, and is pushing for partners to help create a whopping 1,200-mile-long grid that, he hopes, will deliver 60% of the country’s energy needs from renewable sources. READ FULL STORY

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