Tokyo area warned of power outages due to cold, quake damage

Japan’s government is alerting the Tokyo area of potential blackouts because power supplies are low after several coal-fired plants temporarily stopped generating electricity following last week’s earthquake

TOKYO -- Japan’s government alerted the Tokyo region of potential blackouts Tuesday because power supplies were low after several coal-fired plants temporarily stopped generating electricity following last week's earthquake.

The rare alert, calling on households and companies to conserve power, coincided with snow and unusually cold weather for early spring in Tokyo, prompting people to use heaters.

The magnitude-7.4 earthquake off the coast of Fukushima last Wednesday killed four people and injured more than 230 others, while reminding people of the March 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that killed thousands and devastated northeastern Japan's coast.

Last week's quake caused temporary power outages, peaking at 2 million homes, as the coal-fired plants in the region serviced by the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings assessed and repaired damage.