Choi Nam-ho, a distinguished professor of resources and environmental engineering at Hanyang University and former vice minister of trade, industry and energy, presents on ways to promote distributed energy at the 17th Energy Security Colloquium, held June 19 at the YK Law Firm conference room in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. [Energy Security and Environment Association]
Choi Nam-ho, a distinguished professor of resources and environmental engineering at Hanyang University and former vice minister of trade, industry and energy, presents on ways to promote distributed energy at the 17th Energy Security Colloquium, held June 19 at the YK Law Firm conference room in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. [Energy Security and Environment Association]

With delays in new transmission line construction threatening to disrupt regional power supply and demand, experts are calling for a structural shift toward a "locally produced, locally consumed" model in which generation and consumption circulate within the same region.

The Energy Security and Environment Association and YK Law Firm co-hosted the 17th Energy Security Colloquium on June 19 at the YK Law Firm conference room in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, under the theme of promoting distributed energy.

The event drew energy, electricity and environmental policy experts alongside legal professionals, industry representatives, journalists, retired military generals and members of the intelligence community, all of whom examined grid bottlenecks and system congestion from a national security perspective.

Participants focused particularly on effective ways to implement the Special Act on Promoting Distributed Energy and on introducing region-specific differentiated electricity tariffs.

Keynote speaker Choi Nam-ho, a distinguished professor of resources and environmental engineering at Hanyang University and former vice minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, cited recent recurring cases of generation curtailment and said delays in building new transmission lines and insufficient grid capacity "are not problems confined to specific regions — they are structural risks that threaten the nation's overall power security."

Choi said growing electricity demand and aging transmission and distribution infrastructure are increasing the need for grid expansion, but that long-distance transmission line construction has hit a wall due to community resistance and regional conflicts. He said South Korea must build a locally produced, locally consumed distributed energy system — one in which generation and consumption form a virtuous cycle within the same region — to minimize dependence on transmission lines and reduce long-distance transmission losses.

He said the current structure, in which power consumption is concentrated in the Greater Seoul area while generation facilities are concentrated outside it, is undermining grid stability. He called for building region-specific distributed power systems to prevent localized grid problems from cascading into a nationwide crisis and to strengthen resilience.

Choi said expanding distributed energy could contribute not only to grid stabilization but also to achieving the national goals of carbon neutrality and balanced regional development. He said intermittency problems arising from the expansion of renewable energy can be addressed through distributed energy systems such as energy storage systems and virtual power plants, and that introducing region-specific electricity tariffs could ease power supply-demand imbalances while also stimulating local economies.

Participants pose for a group photo at the 17th Energy Security Colloquium, held June 19 at the YK Law Firm conference room in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. [Energy Security and Environment Association]
Participants pose for a group photo at the 17th Energy Security Colloquium, held June 19 at the YK Law Firm conference room in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. [Energy Security and Environment Association]

Lee Ung-hyeok, chairman of the Energy Security and Environment Association and a professor of police science at Konkuk University, moderated the discussion. Citing recent tensions in the Middle East and the crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, he said the vulnerability of energy supply chains has once again been laid bare. "The Strait of Hormuz situation is a vivid example of how energy chokepoints affect a nation's economy and security," Lee said, adding that the government's energy transition plan is "a timely policy response to these changes of the era."

"With power demand surging due to the spread of AI industries and data centers, a centralized supply system alone has its limits," he said. "Building a locally produced, locally consumed distributed energy system has become the core task for securing energy security and grid stability."

YK Law Firm, which co-hosted the colloquium, said it would continue to provide policy and legal support to help domestic companies secure a stable foundation for growth amid a rapidly changing energy environment, drawing on its accumulated experience in global regulatory compliance and legal expertise.

구천피 넘자 ‘헉헉’ 대더니…코스피 9200선 반전 회복 [투자360]

구천피 넘자 ‘헉헉’ 대더니…코스피 9200선 반전 회복 [투자360]

코스피가 22일 장 초반 9000선에서 한발 물러나며 숨고르기에 들어갔는데 지난주 사상 첫 9000선 돌파 이후 단기 급등 부담이 커진 가운데 외국인 매물이 출회되며 지수를
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