S. Korea, U.S. agree on 'smart' grid partnership

SEOUL, June 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States have tentatively
agreed to establish a partnership in fueling the global development of a
next-generation, eco-friendly power system, Seoul officials said Wednesday.

The agreement on a bilateral "smart" grid partnership calls for merging S.
Korea's ability to quickly commercialize technologies into products and the
prowess of the U.S. in core technologies, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said.
A smart grid delivers electricity by using digital technology to save energy,
reduce cost and increase reliability. Many governments are promoting such a
modernized electricity network as a way of addressing energy independence or
global warming issues.
The ministry said the two countries reached the agreement in Washington Tuesday
on the sidelines of President Lee Myung-bak's four-day visit to America, which
ends on Thursday.
Seoul announced last week that it will strive to become the world's first
nationwide user of a smart grid by 2030.
Besides South Korea and the United States, the European Union, China and
Australia are all striving to build their own smart grids in the future.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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