ID :
209420
Mon, 09/26/2011 - 12:10
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/209420
The shortlink copeid
Gov't admits mistakes behind nationwide blackouts (UPDATE)
By Kim Kwang-tae
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- The government on Monday admitted that its supply-demand miscalculation was the primary reason for the recent nationwide blackout that inconvenienced many businesses and ordinary citizens.
Yim Jong-ryong, minister of the Prime Minister's Office, said that the absence of interagency communication was also responsible for the rare disaster, and vowed not to repeat such a mistake.
Unseasonably high temperatures increased electricity demand at a time when energy authorities reduced supply for scheduled maintenance, causing the blackouts about two weeks ago.
The government "will seek a stable provision of electricity," Yim said in a news conference as he announced the results of a weeks-long investigation by half a dozen government agencies. He also asked people to voluntarily join efforts to save energy.
The government also will put in place a program that could accurately measure demand for electricity, and enhance its advisory system for possible power blackouts, Yim said.
The power outages affected around 2.12 million households across the country on Sept. 15, forcing some factories and shops to temporarily suspend work. Some people were also trapped inside elevators before being rescued by emergency officials.
More than 410 bank branches faced a delay in business operations, though no serious damage was reported.
More than 3,000 cases have been filed against electricity monopoly Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) to seek compensation for damages estimated to be worth about 17.7 billion won (US$14.8 million).
KEPCO plans to accept damages claims by next Tuesday and decide details on its compensation.
The move came after the government held a task force meeting to determine the exact cause of the power outages and come up with measures to prevent the recurrence of a similar incident.
South Korea plans to increase its electricity reserves to more than 14 percent by 2014 from the current 7 percent rate that is considered the minimum safety margin. The electricity reserves fell to as low as 6 percent of overall demand when the blackouts took place on Sept. 15.
Yim also called for measures for the stable provision of energy to meet growing demand for electricity during cold winters.
Power outages are rare in South Korea, which has a highly developed electricity grid infrastructure. The last time that the country experienced a nationwide partial blackout was in the early 1970s.
Knowledge Economy Minister Choi Joong-kyung, who is in charge of energy affairs, has offered to step down over the incident, saying he wouldn't try to stay at his post after overseeing measures to fix problems revealed in the incident.
On Monday, a senior presidential secretary suggested that Choi is expected to quit soon.
"The cause has now been determined and the president has said that those responsible will be held accountable," the official told reporters. "Now, we believe the first round of measures has been completed."
Given the Prime Minister's Office plans to announce a second round of measures on Oct. 4, Choi is expected to step down by then at the latest.
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- The government on Monday admitted that its supply-demand miscalculation was the primary reason for the recent nationwide blackout that inconvenienced many businesses and ordinary citizens.
Yim Jong-ryong, minister of the Prime Minister's Office, said that the absence of interagency communication was also responsible for the rare disaster, and vowed not to repeat such a mistake.
Unseasonably high temperatures increased electricity demand at a time when energy authorities reduced supply for scheduled maintenance, causing the blackouts about two weeks ago.
The government "will seek a stable provision of electricity," Yim said in a news conference as he announced the results of a weeks-long investigation by half a dozen government agencies. He also asked people to voluntarily join efforts to save energy.
The government also will put in place a program that could accurately measure demand for electricity, and enhance its advisory system for possible power blackouts, Yim said.
The power outages affected around 2.12 million households across the country on Sept. 15, forcing some factories and shops to temporarily suspend work. Some people were also trapped inside elevators before being rescued by emergency officials.
More than 410 bank branches faced a delay in business operations, though no serious damage was reported.
More than 3,000 cases have been filed against electricity monopoly Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) to seek compensation for damages estimated to be worth about 17.7 billion won (US$14.8 million).
KEPCO plans to accept damages claims by next Tuesday and decide details on its compensation.
The move came after the government held a task force meeting to determine the exact cause of the power outages and come up with measures to prevent the recurrence of a similar incident.
South Korea plans to increase its electricity reserves to more than 14 percent by 2014 from the current 7 percent rate that is considered the minimum safety margin. The electricity reserves fell to as low as 6 percent of overall demand when the blackouts took place on Sept. 15.
Yim also called for measures for the stable provision of energy to meet growing demand for electricity during cold winters.
Power outages are rare in South Korea, which has a highly developed electricity grid infrastructure. The last time that the country experienced a nationwide partial blackout was in the early 1970s.
Knowledge Economy Minister Choi Joong-kyung, who is in charge of energy affairs, has offered to step down over the incident, saying he wouldn't try to stay at his post after overseeing measures to fix problems revealed in the incident.
On Monday, a senior presidential secretary suggested that Choi is expected to quit soon.
"The cause has now been determined and the president has said that those responsible will be held accountable," the official told reporters. "Now, we believe the first round of measures has been completed."
Given the Prime Minister's Office plans to announce a second round of measures on Oct. 4, Choi is expected to step down by then at the latest.
