Lawmaker Yeom Tae-young urges improved Korail regenerative power settlement
Lawmaker Yeom Tae-young urged improving the settlement system for Korail's regenerative braking power, estimating annual electricity cost savings of 35.2 billion KRW. This issue emerged after Korail switched three substations to direct electricity purchases in 2026.
Our take
Will Korea credit rail operators for regenerative braking power fed back into the grid?
Not decided: a lawmaker and Korail are pushing to meter and trade the regenerative braking power that trains already send into the grid, worth KRW 35.2bn a year to Korail by its own estimate, but KEPCO's power-quality concerns, such as harmonics, are unresolved and no rule change has been announced.
In favour: Korail says talks with the Electricity Regulatory Commission and KEPCO are well advanced, and the transport ministry says it will finalise improvements with other ministries. Against: KEPCO's concern about harmonics has not yet been tested with data, and the case arises from one large consumer's direct purchase at three substations. The outcome depends on a joint check of power quality and on whether the regulator writes a settlement rule.
What the source says
- Lawmaker Yeom Tae-young Lawmaker Yeom Tae-young pointed out Korail's annual electricity bill is 632.2 billion KRW, representing 8.5% of its total operating costs.
- The issue of regenerative power settlement and quality became apparent when Korail converted three subway substations to direct electricity purchases in 2026.
- Korea Electric Power Corporation Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) raised concerns about power quality issues like harmonics from regenerative power.
- Lawmaker Yeom Tae-young Lawmaker Yeom Tae-young argued that power quality issues from regenerative power should not be approached as new, as it has always flowed into the grid, requiring data-driven management.
- Kim Tae-seung Korail CEO Kim Tae-seung stated that discussions with the Electricity Regulatory Commission and KEPCO are well underway, expecting visible results soon.
- Kim Tae-byeong Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) Railway Bureau Director Kim Tae-byeong committed to reviewing and finalizing improvement plans with relevant ministries, acknowledging the Electricity Business Act amendment.
For investors — VPP operators and aggregators: a settlement rule for regenerative braking power would be a narrow precedent for crediting power that large consumers send back to the grid; wait to see whether it is written for rail alone or more generally before treating it as a new resource.
Watch: Outcome of ongoing discussions between Korail, KEPCO, Electricity Regulatory Commission, and MOLIT regarding regenerative braking power settlement and quality.
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