KEMCO CEO Byun Jong-rip gives his inaugural speech as he 

took the helm at the corporation on June 10. (Photo: KEMCO)

Korea Energy Management Corp. (KEMCO) CEO Byun Jong-rip said, “The power supply-demand situation will likely take a turn for the worst from the second week of August as the nation’s electricity reserves are forecast to drop a maximum of minus 2 million kW, causing a serious power crisis.” He said in a recent interview with a vernacular newspaper that his company will devote itself to responding to this and to following government policies to cope with it.

But, the newly inaugurated KEMCO president said, things are likely to get somewhat better in late July and early August when the period coincides with a rainy spell and the vacation season.

The KEMCO CEO has a lot on his plate amidst the power shortage crisis since he took the helm of the corporation on June 10. Byun, a graduate of the Sungkyungkwan University Public Administration Department and the recipient of a Ph. D. from the Sungkyungwan University Graduate School of Governance, has held positions such as the director general in charge of regional economic policy as well as climate change & economic policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. 

KEMCO has been spearheading a variety of public campaigns to conserve electricity to prevent blackouts. 

KEMCO is sticking to the nationwide code of conduct to conserve electricity. The corporation has been signing social agreements with economic and civic organizations, including the Federation of Korean Industries, local government bodies, and units from other walks of life to spread a drive of making the conservation of 100 Watts of electricity part of our daily lives. 

KEMCO has inaugurated a special electricity supply emergency corps to cope with blackouts. The task force is a companywide organization comprised of all executives at the KEMCO head office as well as officials from 15 departments and 12 regional headquarters. The organization is divided into five teams designed to proliferate energy conservation.

“If 10 million people join the 100W conservation campaign, the nation will save 1 million kW, the equivalent of a nuclear power unit’s production capacity,” Byun said. He went on to say that cutting down on 100 Watts is not difficult. For instance, he said, people can translate an energy conservation code of conduct into action in their daily lives -- turning off a TV set during peak power hours, replacing two incandescent lights with LED lights, and halting the operation of air-conditioners for a half hour between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

KEMCO has been distributing a manual targeting electricity-engulfing industries and business establishments on how to respond to each warning stage of power shortage to cope with blackouts. Outlets and businesses consuming more than 2,000 Tons of Oil Equivalent (TOE) annually are advised to suspend operation of air-conditioners in each sphere on a rotational basis. 

Outlets doing business while keeping their doors open and air-conditioners in operation are imposed up to 3 million won in penalties. 

KEMCO has a target of making public organizations reduce electricity by 15 percent during the period between July and August, compared to the same months of 2012, and public organizations using more than 100kW to cut down on power by an average of 25 percent. 

KEMCO has electricity-conserving action plans, including turning off half of the lights during peak power hours; keeping air-conditioned room temperatures at 28 or above degrees Celsius; and halting the operation of air-conditioners during peak power hours on a rotational basis.

KEMCO CEO Byun Jong-rip gives his inaugural speech as he 

took the helm at the corporation on June 10. (Photo: KEMCO)

Koreans tend to use electricity lavishly like water. Stats, made available in 2011, showed that Korea’s electric energy consumption per capita stood at 9,510 kWh, higher than Japan’s 8,110 kWh and Germany’s 7,108 kWh. But when income is factored in, Koreans’ power consumption per capita was 0.5806, which is quite higher than Japan’s 0.2033 and Germany’s 0.2805 and the average of OECD countries at 0.3337. Korea has recently seen electricity charges rise an average of 4 percent, but the fares are still lower than those of the average of the OECD countries, prompting the need for booting electricity charges to curb power consumption.