The government approved Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s revised 10-year business plan Wednesday that includes its hope to restart reactors at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture this summer.

Faced with drastic increases in the cost of fuel for thermal power to compensate for its idled nuclear reactors, Tepco management considers the Kashiwazaki restarts key to its financial health.

"We had to set a temporary timeline of when to restart reactors to make the business plan. But we cannot predict anything for sure," Tepco President Naomi Hirose said.