South Korea's energy leaders gathered at the 2026 Energy Industry Conference to address a critical challenge: how to supply stable, clean electricity for the country's planned semiconductor clusters and AI data centers, which will require around 40GW of new power. The conference, hosted by Chosun Ilbo, brought together government officials, lawmakers, and industry executives who agreed that nuclear power, renewables, LNG, and grid upgrades must be integrated into a single energy security strategy. Key speakers emphasized that uninterrupted 24/7 power is essential for national competitiveness and that existing energy sources like coal and LNG should be retained as backup during the transition to carbon neutrality. The article highlights specific policy proposals, including proactive development of large nuclear reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs), expansion of renewables in synergy with nuclear, and grid optimization using energy storage systems. It also notes that South Korea's crude oil dependence on the Middle East exceeds 70%, prompting calls for diversification. For readers tracking energy policy and grid decarbonization, this piece provides concrete numbers and stakeholder positions from a major Asian economy facing a real-world test of balancing industrial growth with emissions reduction.
