都市ガス大手３社が「導管分離」　小売り全面自由化の節目

　東京ガス、大阪ガス、東邦ガスの都市ガス大手３社をそれぞれ分割し、家庭などの利用者にガスを届ける導管事業を傘下の別会社に引き継ぐ「導管分離」が１日、実施された。都市ガスの製造・小売り事業と導管事業を行う会社を分け、都市ガス事業への異業種参入を促すのが狙い。２０１７年からの都市ガス小売りの全面自由化は節目を迎えた。
　導管事業は「東京ガスネットワーク」「大阪ガスネットワーク」「東邦ガスネットワーク」にそれぞれ引き継ぐ。大手３社以外の都市ガス会社では、導管部門と他事業の収支を区別する「会計分離」を維持し、導管部門の分離を行う必要はない。（2022/04/01-11:57）

Three major Japanese city gas companies--Tokyo Gas Co. , Osaka Gas Co. and Toho Gas Co. --on Friday spun off their respective operations to supply gas to households and other users through pipelines.
   The separation of pipeline service businesses from gas production and sales operations, implemented under law, is intended to encourage new entries into the city gas sector from other industries, marking a new milestone for the full liberalization of Japan's gas retail market, which started in 2017.
   Taking over the three firms' pipeline service businesses respectively are Tokyo Gas Network Co., Osaka Gas Network Co. and Toho Gas Network Co.
   Japanese city gas companies other than the three major firms are not required to spin off their pipeline service operations. They will continue to separate the accounting of pipeline service operations from that of other businesses.
   Before the start of the full liberalization, gas suppliers were allowed to engage in gas businesses exclusively in designated areas and were required to acquire permission from the state to set gas rates.