Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s new push to restart nuclear reactors probably won’t be enough to avert a looming power crunch later this year that will bring new risks of blackouts. Kishida said the government will do what it can to ensure as many as nine reactors are online this winter, which could cover roughly 10% of Japan’s power consumption. The news sent shares of local utility firms jumping. Still, Kishida’s pledge is in line with existing plans and Japan is forecasting tight power supply this winter — when demand for heating will rise — even with the nine reactors online. “Things won’t change drastically even if nine reactors are operated,” said Takayuki Homma, chief economist at Sumitomo Corp. Global Research Co. “Electricity will remain in shortage. If Japan tries to secure a stable energy supply, it must raise the proportion of nuclear power generation.” Japan has been struggling […]