President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called for establishing a next-generation power grid as he underscored the importance of shifting the country's power supply infrastructure to one that centers on renewable energy.
"Energy transition has become an essential task," Lee said as he presided over a meeting of senior presidential aides. "On top of an artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, the supply of renewable energy through power grid improvement has become very urgent."
Lee instructed the government to draw up measures to establish a next-generation power grid that lowers the inefficiency of long-distance power transmissions and makes use of cutting-edge AI technology.
The presidential office said the government will turn South Jeolla Province into a hub for such a plan, noting the region's potential for supplying renewable energy.
Kim Yong-beom, the presidential chief of staff for policy, said in a press briefing that the government plans to establish industrial complexes for renewable energy micro grids by using steel and petrochemical industrial complexes in the region.
The government will allocate about 200 billion won (US$143 million) next year for a pilot project to establish a next-generation power grid by building microgrids in the region's university, airport and military units, and connecting them, according to Kim.
The presidential official said Lee aims to nurture the country's energy industry into one akin to the chip industry, and eventually seek to export electricity technology and products. (Yonhap)
