Son Masayoshi (孫正義) is reported to be pursuing a restructuring of the power industry to advance the rollout of AI data centers in Japan, with an alliance with Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings in mind. As part of a long-running feature series, the focus is on re-examining the energy strategy in light of lessons from the past.
Diamond reports that Son Masayoshi (孫正義), chairman and president of SoftBank Group, openly expressed interest in a capital and business alliance with Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings at the SoftBank Group shareholders’ meeting. SBG aims to secure power for the expansion of its data center business and regards TEPCO Holdings as one of its leading candidates.
Amid a global rush to build data centers, ensuring a stable power supply has become a challenge, and Son Masayoshi (孫正義) has emphasized the relationship between power and data centers. SBG has announced data center construction plans not only in Japan but also in the US and France, and intends to establish a framework to meet growing power demand.
Son Masayoshi (孫正義)'s entry into the energy industry dates back to the immediate aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. In light of the effects of its previous initiatives and the power industry's collective memory, he is bringing back a vision that includes restructuring.
As part of its feature series “TEPCO Dismantled,” Diamond provides an in-depth explanation of Son Masayoshi (孫正義)'s ambitions, the outlook for the data center business, and the background to the bitter memories that remain in the power industry.