Electricity
Fossil fuel sources account for more than two-thirds of South Korea's electricity generation.
South Korea generated about 495 billion kilowatthours (kWh) of net electricity in 2012. South Korea's power generation has increased by an average of 5% annually over the past decade, and KEEI expects demand to grow 3.7% annually through 2017, primarily driven by industrial use. Fossil fuels accounted for 70% of total 2012 generation, while 29% came from nuclear power, and nearly 2% came from renewable sources, including hydroelectricity. Coal generation makes up the bulk of fossil fuel generation. Although fossil fuel-fired capacity is dominant in South Korea at present, nuclear power is set to expand over the next decade, along with significant investment in offshore wind farms and other renewable sources such as solar and tidal power. In 2012, about 53% of electricity consumption came from industries, 25% from commercial and service enterprises, 14% from the residential sector, and 8% from other sectors like transportation and agriculture, according to KEEI.