[Suwon = E-Daily Reporter Hwang Young-min ] The “Gyeonggi Energy Highway” concept has been proposed as a new solution to address the rapidly increasing demand for electricity in Gyeonggi Province, driven by the world’s largest semiconductor cluster and AI data centers. The plan involves burying power transmission and distribution lines beneath the 840 km of highways in Gyeonggi Province.

On the 3rd, the Gyeonggi Research Institute released a research report titled “Power Shortages in the Semiconductor Era: Finding Solutions on the Highway,” which details this proposal. According to the report, Gyeonggi Province’s annual electricity consumption is estimated to reach 285,000 GWh by 2050—roughly double the current level.

However, the process of constructing transmission lines to secure power supply is fraught with conflicts that need to be resolved, such as opposition from residents in areas traversed by transmission towers and issues related to land compensation.

Consequently, the Gyeonggi Research Institute turned its attention to highways, which are state-owned land. The plan involves burying transmission lines beneath the West Coast and Pyeongtaek-Siheung highways to supply 3 GW of solar power—generated from reclaimed land along the West Coast—to southern Gyeonggi Province.

The Gyeonggi Research Institute estimates that adopting this method could shorten the transmission line construction period—which typically takes an average of 13 years—by 5 to 7 years or more. This would ensure a smooth power supply to the Yongin semiconductor fab (production facility), which is scheduled to begin phased operations in 2029.

Previously, in January, Gyeonggi Province signed an agreement with #KoreaElectricPower Corporation (KEPCO) to jointly pursue the “new road undergrounding” method—laying power lines beneath Provincial Road 318, a 27-kilometer-long new road connecting Icheon to Yongin. This “Gyeonggi Energy Highway” project expands the concept of this new road undergrounding method to the entire highway network.

The Gyeonggi Research Institute also projected that installing solar power facilities on unused land—such as highway slopes, embankments, and noise barriers—could generate 588 MW of electricity. On an annual basis, this amounts to 773 GWh—enough electricity to power an entire small-to-medium-sized city. The report also includes a plan to install 4-MW-class large-capacity energy storage systems (ESS) at every highway rest area and interchange.

Part of the funding required for the project could be covered through a “win-win model” in which local residents or Gyeonggi Province residents invest and receive dividends from power generation profits. If implemented as a resident-participation project, it would be exempt from solar power setback regulations.

The Gyeonggi Research Institute proposed establishing a three-party cooperation framework involving Gyeonggi Province, the Korea Expressway Corporation, and the KoreaElectricPower Corporation to ensure successful implementation. Under this structure, Gyeonggi Province would oversee policy and ensure the project is incorporated into national power grid plans; the Korea Expressway Corporation would provide road right-of-way and utility corridors to generate revenue from idle assets; and the KoreaElectricPower Corporation would resolve transmission bottlenecks and take over the completed power grid in the future.

The Institute recommended prioritizing the “Seohwaseong Power Collection Feeder Network”—which connects solar power facilities on reclaimed land along the west coast—as a pilot project in Phase 1, followed by expanding it to cover all of southern Gyeonggi Province, including the Gyeongbu and Yeongdong Expressways, and eventually to the national highway network.

Kim Jeom-san, a senior research fellow at the Gyeonggi Research Institute, stated, “The success or failure of the semiconductor and AI industries hinges on whether the necessary power can be supplied in a timely and eco-friendly manner,” adding, “Building an energy grid utilizing expressways is a practical and innovative solution that can overcome the massive barriers of resident conflict and land compensation.”

He added, “It is urgent to establish a dedicated task force involving Gyeonggi Province, the Korea Expressway Corporation, and the KoreaElectricPower Corporation as soon as possible. Starting with the Seo-Hwaseong pilot project, national-level policy support and early implementation are essential to ensure that roads across the country can be transformed into ‘arteries of eco-friendly energy.’”