TOKYO, Jul (Reuters) - Japan asked all users served by western Japan's Kansai Electric Power Co to cut peak summer power use by at least 10 percent, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tetsuro Fukuyama said on Wednesday, as concerns grow that tight power supplies will hurt manufacturers.
The cuts are aimed at avoiding power blackouts in western Japan and minimizing the impact on economic activity from electricity conservation, Fukuyama said.
Delays in restarts of nuclear reactors shut for regular maintenance have raised concerns about possible power shortages into 2012, which could hurt Japan's industrial output and economic growth.
(Reporting by Yoko Kubota; Writing by Chikako Mogi; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
