POWER SUPPLY WARNING AMID HEATWAVE

[Anchor Lead]

As sweltering heat is continuing, the nation is expected to face a power supply warning for the first time in eight years since 2013. This week will be the first critical juncture.

[Pkg]

This restaurant installed more air conditioners recently, because the temperature would not go down even after the air conditioning system remained on all day long.

[Soundbite] Kim Hyun-jin(Restaurant Manager) : "We keep the temperature as low as possible. But customers complain that it is hot. It is difficult for us."

More ordinary households are also resorting to air conditioners, as people spend far more time at home amid the pandemic and are plagued by tropical nights.

[Soundbite] Baek Hyun-joo(Suwon, Gyeonggi-do Prov.) : "I turn on the air conditioner in the morning as soon as I get up. I keep it on until I go to sleep. I turn it on again while sleeping, as I am disturbed by the hot weather."

The soaring consumption of industrial electricity adds to the problem. This factory producing heat-emitting components operates 12 hours a day. Its operation has increased more than 40 percent from last year with growing expectations for economic recovery. A day’s break leads to a drop in sales. So it cannot curtail its operation.

[Soundbite] Kwon Jae-seong(Heat-emitting product company) : "It is difficult for a small company to reduce power consumption, as it will disrupt production."

Power consumption is expected to surge from the middle of this week, as temperatures are predicted to rise even higher. There are concerns that the nation could experience a massive power outrage again, as it did a decade ago. The nation’s power reserve stood at 3.43GW, when rotating blackouts were carried out across the nation in 2011. It is just 0.57GW less than the nation’s power reserve predicted for this week. The government will focus on keeping power supply balanced by re-operating suspended nuclear power reactors and securing reserve resources as much as possible. The Korea Electric Power Corporation will conduct an emergency drill simulating the worst power shortage scenario on Wednesday.