Korea confirms plan to enhance grid acceptability, proposing integrated lines and solar income
The Korean government has confirmed a 'Transmission Network Construction Acceptability Enhancement Plan' to mitigate social conflicts and costs associated with expanding the power transmission grid.
Our take
How will Korea's confirmed grid plan address social conflict and compensate affected residents?
Korea's confirmed plan to enhance transmission grid acceptability aims to de-risk grid expansion by shifting from unilateral administration to a model of practical profit sharing and damage minimization, notably through a 'Grid Sunlight Income' model offering up to 3 million KRW annually to affected residents.
The government's plan directly addresses the historical tension between national infrastructure needs and localized community impact by proposing concrete mechanisms for shared benefit and increased resident participation. By integrating lines and expanding undergrounding, it aims to physically reduce the footprint and visual impact of new infrastructure, while the 'Grid Sunlight Income' model introduces a **long-term, recurring financial incentive** for residents, moving beyond one-time compensation to foster a cooperative relationship. This approach seeks to internalize social costs that previously caused project delays and cost overruns.
What the source says
- The government's plan shifts the paradigm from unilateral administration to 'minimizing damage' and 'sharing practical profits' in transmission network construction.
- The plan proposes integrating existing and new 2-circuit transmission lines into a single 4-circuit tower or combining two separately planned new lines onto one tower.
- The government plans to fully expand undergrounding for sections with severe resident complaints, such as substation outgoing sections.
- A 'Grid Sunlight Income' model is proposed to provide residents along transmission routes with up to 3 million KRW annually from solar power generation, moving beyond one-time compensation.
- Resident participation in site selection will be expanded by allowing observation of meetings, disclosing meeting materials (excluding personal information), and presenting at least two candidate route options.
- Regional resident consultative bodies may be formed to allow residents to directly review alternative routes if needed.
- Korean government The government expects that integrating lines in ongoing national infrastructure projects could reduce the number of transmission towers by approximately 40%, from 4,723 to 2,509.
- Concerns are raised regarding how to stably procure the massive additional financial resources for expanded undergrounding and the structural safety and technical verification of 4-circuit tower integration.
For investors — For investors and operators in Korean DER, the proposed 'Grid Sunlight Income' model could create new revenue streams for residents, potentially increasing local support for DER projects that utilize grid connections and reducing social friction for related infrastructure development. This shift could accelerate grid modernization and DER integration.
Watch: Monitoring the implementation details and funding mechanisms for the 'Transmission Network Construction Acceptability Enhancement Plan,' particularly the rollout of the 'Grid Sunlight Income' model and the technical verification of 4-circuit towers.
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