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Energy Policy Simulator(EPS)

The Energy Policy Simulator (EPS) is a comprehensive analytical model designed to evaluate the impacts of energy policies across all sectors of the economy, including industry, power generation, and transportation. By integrating a wide array of policy levers—such as carbon pricing and renewable energy subsidies—users can construct customized scenarios to quantitatively assess greenhouse gas reductions, energy demand, and macroeconomic ripple effects, including GDP fluctuations and public health benefits derived from improved air quality. The EPS serves as a critical strategic compass for policymakers, providing a scientific foundation to identify the most cost-effective and beneficial climate action strategies while facilitating the design of optimal policy roadmaps that harmonize economic growth with environmental sustainability.

A Big Picture for the Inverter-Dominated Future Grid - Advances in Inverter Technology and Grid Stability

As renewable energy deployment expands, power systems are experiencing various forms of instability, including reduced inertia, voltage control limitations, and resonance issues. This report analyzes how successive generations of inverter technologies affect system stability and outlines the key challenges and technical directions for future power grids.

Coal Phase-Out Watcher NEXT Electricity Outlook 2025 - Part 2

This study presents an optimized coal phase-out roadmap that enables coal-fired power plants to maintain economic viability during their remaining operational period. By doing so, it aims to reduce uncertainties and financial risks associated with coal plant operations and contribute to accelerating the transition toward renewable energy.

Offshore grid governance: a prerequisite for timely offshore wind deployment

South Korea, which is still in the early stages of offshore wind power deployment, has yet to establish a clear offshore grid governance system. This issue brief examines the current situation in Korea and international case studies, emphasizing the need for Korea to establish a well-defined offshore grid governance framework.

NEXT Electricity Outlook 2024 - Part 1: Coal Phase-Out Watcher

This report aims to provide compelling evidence and guidance for policymakers and stakeholders interested in the gradual phase-out of coal-fired power plants (CFPPs). This is the first comprehensive analysis in South Korea, incorporating the latest power system modeling and quantitative data up to 2024, and offering a long-term outlook through 2050. Reflecting global trends towards carbon neutrality and shifts in environmental policies, this report proposes strategies for the power generation mix and identifies essential policies.

2050 Climate neutrality roadmap for Korea K-map scenario 2.0: Repowering Korea

This study is based on the "2050 Climate Neutrality Roadmap for Korea, K-Map Scenario: Implementing an ambitious decarbonization pathway for the benefit of future generations and the Korean economy" released in February 2022, which examines the potential for additional GHG reductions in five emission sectors: transition, industry, transportation, buildings and agriculture, and analyzes the necessary measures. The results of the analysis for each sector are presented in the order of updating the GHG reduction roadmap, analyzing the potential for additional reductions, and proposing necessary policies, with the aim of analyzing the sectors that need rapid transition to achieve carbon neutrality and strengthening national competitiveness. We hope this report will serve as a useful reference for policy makers and researchers working to achieve carbon neutrality.

The rise of rooftop PV, what should we prepare?: Solutions from the California Case

This issue brief explores alternatives to address the inefficiencies and instability of the electricity grid caused by the growth of behind-the-meter (BTM) generators such as rooftop solar. Encouraging the demand side to operate and manage BTM generators has the benefit of lowering capital and management costs while increasing grid reliability. In California, the state's Net Energy Metering (NEM) 1.0 and 2.0 programs have enabled rapid deployment of rooftop solar, and the recent NEM 3.0 program is sending price signals to incentivize integrated installations with battery storage. In Korea, it is reasonable to induce an increase in the penetration of BTM generators through retail rate compensation levels such as California's NEM 1.0 or 2.0, but to take demand-side measures by establishing a compensation system that can send appropriate price signals to users of BTM generators to control volatility, such as the 3.0 system.

Korean Power System Challenges and Opportunities: Priorities for Swift and Successful Clean Energy Deployment at Scale

With South Korea’s electricity demand expected to grow 30% by 2035, transitioning to clean energy resources will be critical in reducing the electric sector emissions and achieving national climate goals. Rapid technological improvements can help keep costs low and maintain grid reliability, if Korea’s government takes a coordinated approach to the clean energy transition. This policy brief identifies key barriers to Korea’s shift toward clean energy, based on the authors’companion report (A Clean Energy Korea by 2035: Transitioning to 80% Carbon-Free Electricity Generation), interviews with experts, and the most recent data and literature. It then explores policy solutions for overcoming these technological, economic, and institutional barriers, and suggests market transformation strategies to speed the adoption of clean energy technologies. Amid ongoing cost and technological improvements in wind, solar, and energy storage, advancing this report’s recommended policy actions with maximum coordination among government officials can meaningfully accelerate Korea’s clean energy transition.

A Clean Energy Korea by 2035 - Transitioning to 80% Carbon-Free Electricity Generation

The current global energy crisis has massive implications for the people and economy of South Korea (Korea), where at least 90% of energy use depends on foreign fossil fuels. Clean electricity accounts for only 39% of total generation, with electricity demand expected to increase 30% by 2035. This study shows that Korea can achieve 80% clean electricity by 2035 by capitalizing on rapid technological improvements and decreasing costs of solar, wind, and battery technology. Doing so would slightly lower electricity supply costs, significantly reduce dependence on imported natural gas and coal, and dramatically cut power sector emissions. Further, this study finds that Korea’s power grid under a clean energy scenario will maintain reliability without coal generation or new natural gas plants. To realize these significant economic, environmental, and energy security benefits, policies such as an 80% clean electricity standard by 2035 and corresponding renewable energy deployment goals are required.

Strategy for Grid Innovation in the UK to Realize a Renewable Energy-Centric System

This issue brief aims to draw policy implications for the power grid of Korea by examining the case of grid innovation in the UK, which has successfully achieved decarbonization of the power sector by establishing a renewable energy-centric power grid despite the constraints of being an island nation. Lessons learned for Korea: The required amount of control resources for system stability should be analyzed based on future scenarios and these control resources should be secured cost-effectively through an auction system. Optimal grid construction plans should be designed by conducting scenario-based economic evaluations and the decision-making processes should be transparently disclosed through reports for public discussion. In order to avoid grid constraint costs and social conflicts associated with onshore transmission line construction while achieving decarbonization of the power sector, Korea should also actively consider the implementation of offshore HVDC.