For the last several years, electric power has been insufficient in summer and winter. People have worried about a shortage of electricity and have tried to reduce electricity use in the home, stores, and companies. However, when a power shortage gets worse, the majority of people experience damage, while a few major companies which produce electricity make profits. We need to think about this situation more seriously.
One of the main causes of electric power shortage is usage of electricity in a few major companies. The percentage of electricity used in the home is 14% of the total electricity usage, but the electricity used in industry is 55% of the total. In 2012, Hyundai Steel Company used 9781GWh of electricity, Samsung Electronics used 8489GWh of electricity, and POSCO used 8148GWh of electricity. Besides these enterprises, several companies such as LG used excessive electricity compared to the amount of household electricity. Even if people try to cut down on electricity, still there is not enough electricity.
In addition, a few major companies have made huge profits through the power plant business. Since 2001, selling electricity has been the responsibility in the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), but generating electricity is in the charge of power plants. Major companies’ power plants generate electricity and supply it to the Korea Electric Power Corporation at a high cost. However, the KEPCO sells electric power to industry for 76.7 won per kW and household electricity for 119.9 won. As a result, the KEPCO is heavily in debt.
Another reason for electricity shortages is the shutdown of nuclear plants due to unreliable management. A few months ago, a falsification of parts used in nuclear power plants and test reports were revealed. As a result, 10 of 23 nuclear power plants were shut down. If the amount of electricity continues to be lacking, the country will not be able to avoid blackouts. A blackout means a power outage in a city or the country. In 2003, a blackout took place in some areas of the eastern United States and Canada, and it spread into the U.S. northeast, the Midwest, and Ontario, Canada. Eventually, seven states in America and one state in Canada suffered outages. America suffered an economic loss of 6 billion dollars and more than 50 million people suffered from inconvenience. Korea is not safe from blackouts anymore.
The government is worried about power shortages and is trying to save electricity. It has announced plans to reduce the usage of electricity, but they are too focused on people. The government is regulating the temperature in public facilities, schools and stores. However, the amount of electricity used in industry is about four times more than the electricity used in the home. They have to join in reducing electricity, and the government should think about power-saving measures in industry.
