Government to Ask Public About Nuclear Power Role... Three-Month Public Deliberation Launched
Nuclear Power Public Engagement Committee to Be Formed with Up to 11 Members
To Be Reflected in the 12th Basic Electricity Supply and Demand Plan
In response to the increasing demand for electricity resulting from the expansion of the semiconductor and electric vehicle sectors, the government will conduct a three-month public deliberation on the role of nuclear power plants. Moving beyond simply asking whether people are for or against building new nuclear power plants, the government intends to discuss the comprehensive role of nuclear power as an alternative for stable electricity supply and carbon neutrality.
On September 22, the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment announced that it had reported its plan to promote nuclear power plant public engagement to the Cabinet and commenced the public deliberation process for the 12th Basic Electricity Supply and Demand Plan (2026-2040). The government’s decision to launch the nuclear power public deliberation process is based on the view that, with changing electricity demand projections due to artificial intelligence (AI) and the expansion of the semiconductor industry, it is necessary to achieve both reliable electricity supply and carbon neutrality.
The government is revisiting demand forecasts to incorporate large-scale new electricity demand into the 12th Basic Electricity Supply and Demand Plan and sees the adoption and scale of new nuclear power plants as a key issue in the future energy mix. Accordingly, instead of pre-determining whether to construct new nuclear power plants, the government plans to collect opinions from the public and experts and discuss the role of nuclear power in addressing future electricity demand.
The Ministry of Climate will first form a “Nuclear Power Public Engagement Committee for the Basic Electricity Supply and Demand Plan,” consisting of up to 11 members, including the chairperson. Committee members will be appointed based on recommendations from relevant agencies and organizations in areas such as the humanities and social sciences, science and technology, survey statistics, conflict management, and energy, and will be individuals without a direct stake in nuclear power. Nuclear power specialists will instead join a separate expert panel to provide specialized information on nuclear power plants and electricity supply and demand. A ministry official stated, “We plan to appoint a chairperson who can lead the deliberation process fairly and neutrally.”
The deliberation process will involve the creation of a citizens’ participation group comprising representative members of the public; these participants will engage in an informed deliberative discussion that includes sufficient study and debate. Public forums with experts and online channels to gather opinions from the public will also be conducted in parallel, allowing the opinions of the general public and stakeholders, as well as those of the participation group, to be broadly collected. Once the public engagement committee submits a recommendation to the ministry after reflecting citizens’ opinions, the ministry will combine the results with professional reviews on power supply and the electricity grid to formulate the Basic Electricity Supply and Demand Plan.
Hot Picks Today
"Expensive, Smelly and Scary"... What's Happened to the "Honeymooners' Paradise" Tourists Have Abandoned?
- Women Who Say "A Husband's Annual Salary of 100 Million Won Is a Given"... Matchmaking CEO: "They Talk About It Like It's Nothing"
- "Who Turned Up the Refrigerators?" Hackers Target 700 Supermarkets, Sparking Alarm... "A Blow to France's Food Security"
- Trump Asks Guilfoyle, U.S. Ambassador to Greece, to Resign
- "I'll Give You 53.4 Billion Won to Keep Quiet"... Influencer Reveals Secret Deal; Musk Denies It
Previously, in the process of drawing up the 12th Basic Electricity Supply and Demand Plan, the government convened a series of forums, including National Electricity Discussions, Electricity Demand Discussions, a forum on prospects for the expansion of renewable energy, and a discussion on early retirement of coal plants by 2040. The finalized Basic Electricity Supply and Demand Plan will incorporate the results of the current nuclear power public deliberation as well. Kim Seonghwan, Minister of Climate, stated, “The 12th Basic Electricity Supply and Demand Plan is a significant milestone as it will be the first to be established since the launch of the government based on popular sovereignty. Through this public engagement process, we will listen thoroughly to the diverse opinions of the public on the role of nuclear power, and ensure that the results are faithfully reflected in future energy policy.”
© The Asia Business Daily. All rights reserved. Unauthorized AI training and use prohibited.
