Tokyo Electric Power Company’s retail electricity arm, TEPCO Energy Partner (TEPCO EP), has begun sounding out ordinary steel electric arc furnace (EAF) manufacturers in the Kanto region on phased electricity price increases starting in April 2026, as well as revisions to work-style reform plans.
According to the proposed tariff revisions presented to some EAF manufacturers operating plants in the Kanto area, a facility producing 10,000 tons of crude steel per month would face an additional annual electricity cost burden of around ¥100 million. While electricity contract terms differ among companies and outcomes may vary depending on negotiations with TEPCO EP, industry sources say the proposals have already triggered strong opposition within the electric furnace sector.
