Power outage alert in Japan amid quake damage, cold weather

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s government is alerting people in the Tokyo region they may face blackouts as power runs short after several coal-fired plants temporarily stopped generating electricity following an earthquake last week. The rare alert Tuesday came as people were using more heat than usual due to snow and unusually cold weather for the early spring. The magnitude-7.4 earthquake on March 16 caused temporary outages while coal-fired plants assessed and repaired damage. Power has been restored since, but the grid is under severe strain and officials have urged the public and businesses to help by conserving energy.