[Edaily Kim Yeong-hwan Reporter Jeong Doo-ri] In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and semiconductor clusters determine a nation’s competitiveness, expanding the power grid—the lifeblood of industry—has become a task that can no longer be postponed. However, the construction of transmission and distribution networks is repeatedly hindered by resident opposition, conflicts with local governments, and delays in obtaining permits, resulting in a situation where even secured investment budgets cannot be executed on time. Over the next three installments, Edaily will assess the current state of the power grid—the core infrastructure that will determine national competitiveness in the AI and semiconductor era—and explore solutions for its timely construction. [Editor’s Note]

“If you have so much to say, come to the summit of Mount Garisan.”

In the early stages of constructing the “East Coast–Sin-Gapyeong” transmission line—designed to deliver electricity generated on the east coast to the Seoul metropolitan area—KEPCO employees, facing fierce opposition from residents, climbed to the summit of Mount Garisang (1,560 meters above sea level) in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province, to meet with the chairman of the local prosperity association. Without proper hiking gear, they had to climb the mountain—where snow reached waist-high—for five hours before they could finally meet the chairman. “I never thought you’d actually make it up here,” the chairman said, and only then did he begin discussing the transmission line project with the KEPCO employees.

This episode starkly illustrates why, even as the development of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and semiconductor clusters gains momentum—requiring a significant increase in investment in the power grid to transport electricity—the government is unable to spend the secured budget in a timely manner.

According to data on Korea Electric Power Corporation’s (KEPCO) investment status in transmission and substation facilities obtained by Edaily on the 9th, KEPCO has failed to execute approximately 550 billion won of its investment budget for such facilities over the past four years. While the total investment budget allocated for 2022–2025 was 11.4255 trillion won, the actual amount spent was only 10.8765 trillion won. This is why concerns are growing that the power grid—hampered by resident opposition and delays in obtaining permits—is emerging as a bottleneck for the growth of high-tech industries.

The primary causes of delays in power grid projects are permitting issues, including local resident opposition, conflicts with local governments, and protracted environmental impact assessments. Of the 54 transmission and substation projects included in the 11th Basic Plan for Power Supply and Demand, approximately 20 are facing setbacks. Among these, 14 projects are experiencing delays in completion due to resident complaints and permitting issues, while only six are delayed by other factors such as delays in residential land development, industrial complex development, or insufficient construction time.

There is significant concern that delays in the power grid could lead to a decline in industrial competitiveness. In particular, AI data centers require more than 100 megawatts (MW) of power—more than four times the power needed by general data centers (10–25 MW). The government estimates that by 2035, an additional 18.4 gigawatts (GW) of power will be needed to expand AI data centers, and 6.3 GW will be required to establish semiconductor clusters. This figure is equivalent to the generating capacity of 24 nuclear power plants.

Although the establishment of AI data centers is still in its early stages, some analyses suggest that the power grid has already reached its limits. While demand for the construction of large-scale power-consuming facilities, such as AI data centers, is growing, only 10 out of 522 projects have received final approval to actually receive electricity due to power grid constraints.

Park Jong-bae, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Konkuk University, said, “Considering the 12th Long-Term Transmission and Substation Plan and related projects, the scale of transmission facilities could expand to about twice the current level by 2042,” adding, “In particular, long-distance transmission grids must be constructed as soon as possible.”