Original Korean article: 전기신문
Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) has amended its transmission and distribution facility usage regulations, which will take effect on July 20. The new rules are designed to eliminate "grid capacity hoarding," a practice where developers secure grid access but fail to advance their projects, thereby blocking capacity for other developers.
Under the revised regulations, developers must apply for grid usage within one year of receiving EBL permits, and they must establish usage contracts within one year of submitting their applications. These mandatory timelines aim to ensure that developers actively progress their projects rather than holding grid capacity indefinitely.
For offshore wind projects, which typically have longer development periods, KEPCO has introduced a mid-stage checkpoint system. This system requires developers to complete environmental impact assessments five years before the planned start of operations and to finalize fixed-price contracts three years before operations begin. These checkpoints help verify that projects are advancing as planned.
KEPCO expects these regulatory changes to recover approximately 30GW of grid capacity currently held by inactive or stalled projects. By streamlining grid access and ensuring efficient utilization of transmission and distribution infrastructure, the new rules should improve overall power system efficiency while providing existing permit holders a grace period through August 2026 to comply with the new requirements.
