Hideyo Hanazumi, governor of Niigata province where the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant is located, told a news conference he “would approve” the resumption, which will need final permission by the country’s nuclear regulator.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant was taken offline when Japan pulled the plug on nuclear power after a tsunami caused the 2011 meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

But the resource-poor country now wants to revive atomic energy and reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels.

A total of 14 reactors — mostly in western and southern regions — have already resumed operation after strict safety standards were imposed.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant will be the first restart for Fukushima operator Tepco after the disaster, once it gets final approval.