Japan on Tuesday issued an emergency plea for citizens, businesses and local authorities to conserve energy, warning of potential blackouts after a massive earthquake idled several power plants and unseasonably cold weather boosted demand. As snow fell in Tokyo and the temperature dropped sharply to four degrees Celsius (39 Fahrenheit), Tokyo Electric Power Co (9501.T) said 2-3 million households could lose power after 8 p.m. (1100 GMT) at the current power usage rate. “At this rate, we are coming closer to a state where we will have to conduct power outages similar to those that took place after the quake (last week),” said Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Koichi Hagiuda. At a hastily called news […]