Japanese media say Prime Minister Naoto Kan will call for a sharp reduction in the nation's reliance on nuclear power at a news conference Wednesday evening .

The reports say Mr. Kan will also propose a wide-ranging review of the country's energy policies, with a view to boosting its use of renewable energy resources.

The news conference comes amid mounting pressure for the increasingly unpopular prime minister to announce the date of his resignation. He said last month that he will do so soon, but only after pushing through legislation aimed at boosting green energy and financing Japan's recovery from its March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Mr. Kan has also been criticized for his government's belated decision to subject all of the country's nuclear plants to stress tests before they can be re-opened. All but 19 of Japan's 54 reactors are out of service — in most cases for routine checks — straining the country's ability to meet its energy needs.

The prime minister has already said Japan will have to reconsider a plan to boost its reliance on nuclear power to more than 50 percent by 2030.

Recent polls show the public has lost faith in nuclear power after months of anxiety over contamination leaks from the Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant. Fewer than 10 percent now favor the construction of new nuclear plants.

However there are still powerful interests in industry and parliament that will resist efforts to cut back on the use of nuclear power.

The vice chairman of Japan Atomic Energy Commission warned in an interview Wednesday with Reuters news agency that phasing out nuclear energy would bring other risks, including higher carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and reliance on oil from the politically volatile Middle East.