It’s already been a hot summer in much of the world from Honolulu to Tokyo. In South Korea, the heat has underlined a growing challenge: working more renewable energy into the country’s power supply.
Hot weather has been lingering over much of South Korea, as it does on most summer days.
Highs in Seoul are expected in the 90s for the rest of this week, driving demand for air conditioning — and electricity.
South Korea’s government says more renewable energy is being used to meet that demand.
The Energy Ministry says more than 11% of the country’s electricity use during peak times in July was supplied by solar energy.
But that number is only part of the story of a transition that remains in the early stages.
President Moon Jae-in wants to boost South Korea’s use of renewable energy to 20% of the nation’s power needs by the year 2030 — while simultaneously phasing out nuclear power.
That’s a tough combination. The most recent estimates of the U.S. Energy Information Administration show that renewables make up less than 6% of South Korea’s electricity generation.
About a quarter comes from nuclear power, and nearly 70% comes from fossil fuels — primarily coal.
The government is putting more resources into renewables.
Bloomberg reports solar energy will receive the bulk of investment in South Korea’s renewable energy this year — more than $5 billion, up 42% from a year ago.
