TOKYO, March 18 (Reuters) - Dozens of investment funds

and companies, including KKR and Bain Capital, are

showing interest in Tokyo Electric Power's ( TKECF ) capital

alliance plan as part of its business turnaround, the Asahi

newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The utility giant, which began soliciting proposals in

February, has asked potential partners to submit concrete offers

by the end of March and aims to choose a partner by the end of

this year, Asahi reported, citing people familiar with the deal.

TEPCO ( TKECF ) intends to keep the Japanese government's majority

voting stake unchanged, but is open to taking the company

private as part of the restructuring, the report said.

U.S. investment firms KKR and Bain, along with Japan

Industrial Partners (JIP) and Japan Investment Corporation

(JIC), are among those that have expressed interest, it said.