The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment will hold a public hearing next week on its 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, a framework that sets South Korea’s power supply blueprint through 2040. The upcoming sessions at the National Assembly will unveil an upwardly revised power demand forecast that reflects three major national projects and surging energy requirements from the artificial intelligence boom, alongside a long-term renewable energy rollout strategy.
According to the ministry, the fourth and fifth public policy debates on the 12th plan are scheduled for the 20th at Seminar Room 3 of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Seoul. The electricity plan serves as the country’s top-tier framework governing mid- to long-term energy policy. It outlines projected power demand over a 15-year horizon, generation capacity targets, and infrastructure requirements for transmission and substation networks. While the strategy is traditionally updated every two years, the 12th plan follows closely on the heels of the 11th plan, which was finalized last year a year behind its original schedule.
The legislative hearings follow earlier projections released by the ministry in April, which estimated that annual peak power demand in 2040 would reach between 131.8 and 138.2 gigawatts (GW). Those figures already represented a substantial increase over recent summer peak demand levels of 95 to 97 GW. However, officials decided to recalculate the forecasts after the government announced three major national initiatives: the construction of four semiconductor fabrication plants in the southwestern region, the accelerated build-out of the Yongin semiconductor cluster, and the development of large-scale artificial intelligence data centers.
Driving Forces Behind Surging Electricity Demand
The fourth debate, which gets underway at 10 a.m. on the 20th, will focus on energy policy shifts prompted by what officials describe as the era of the “electricity state” driven by the artificial intelligence revolution. The fifth debate, scheduled for the same afternoon, will revisit the 2040 demand projections and examine the nation’s renewable energy deployment roadmap.
Government estimates indicate that the three semiconductor and AI infrastructure mega-projects alone will require an additional 24.7 gigawatts of generation capacity—an amount equivalent to roughly 18 nuclear reactors of 1.4 GW each. When factoring in the faster-than-expected adoption of electric vehicles and government-backed expansions in heat pump usage, overall electricity consumption is projected to climb significantly above the baseline figures issued in April.
In related reporting, The Korea Herald noted that government officials have categorized demand driven by the Yongin and Honam semiconductor complexes and AI data centers as confirmed requirements that will demand roughly 30 GW by 2040. Additional electrification in transportation and heating could push total supplementary capacity requirements past 50 GW.
Infrastructure Planning and Future Roadmap
Power authorities will use the revised demand figures finalized during the public hearings to draft generation capacity allocations. The upcoming sessions will also introduce the initial rollout plan for renewable energy sources. Subsequent debates scheduled for September and October will address how much of the remaining non-renewable power demand should be met by new nuclear reactors, alongside discussions concerning a roadmap for phasing out coal-fired power plants and reforming the electricity market.
As the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment prepares to present these projections at the National Assembly, stakeholders across the energy sector are watching closely to see how policymakers balance aggressive industrial growth targets with national carbon-reduction commitments.
Public feedback and expert commentary from the debates on the 20th will inform subsequent drafts of the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand ahead of the fall policy sessions. Readers and industry observers can follow official updates through the ministry’s announcements or participate in upcoming legislative forums.