- “President Moon has to reconsider nuclear phase out policy”

- Substitution period for nuclear and thermal power plants is needed in the Korean industry.

- Emphasis of continuous investment for renewable energy.

A scholar who drove eco-friendly energy policies in the U.S. government criticized the recent nuclear phase out policy adopted by Korean government. He insisted that abandonment of nuclear power would accelerate the environmental pollution and global warming. He said that it is widely recognized among the scholars that nuclear phase out policy results in negative impact on the environment and economy, advising to convince President Moon.

Dr. Steven Chu, the former US secretary of energy, was invited by Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and gave a special speech at Westin Chosun Hotel, Seoul. Dr. Chu has continuously urged to develop the renewable energy technologies and to reduce the greenhouse gas production so as to prepare for climate change.

Dr. Chu is an environmentalist. He started his speech with mentioning that temperature of the earth has increased since 1880. He emphasized it is the undeniable fact that nuclear phase out policy has resulted in the environmental pollution, taking the example of German case in which phasing-out the nuclear power has ended up with the increase of coal power plants to compensate for lack of electricity. According to his speech, nuclear phase out policy driven by German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, was the improper political decision too much influenced by the extreme left.

Unsuitable energy policy would add the extra costs on the people. He said that nuclear phase out policy has damaged the German industry because of the deficiency in electricity generation, and that the fine dusts and carbon dioxide produced by the coal thermal power plants also give negative influence on the people. It does not mean that the implementation of renewable energy has to cease immediately. He emphasized that the transition to renewable energy should take place gradually while increasing the investment in renewable energy technologies.

Premature implementation of renewable energy policy would increase the electricity price. Dr. Chu explained that the adoption of renewable energy policy in California has not led to the drastic increase in energy efficiency. He pointed out the renewable energy and the nuclear power have to be pursued together until technologies for renewable energy become mature.

Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) cannot be an alternative, either. He said that LNG is clearly more eco-friendly than coal but still discharges carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide.

He is a Nobel Laureate in Physics, and evaluated Korean energy policy as a scientist. President Moon and his administration set up the plan for the complete transition of energy platform into renewable energy by 2060, and Dr. Chu commented on this in a decisive tone that it is almost impossible. Korea has limited solar and wind capacities compared to Middle East and Britain, respectively. Dr. Chu, as a scientist, predicted that it would be very unlikely to reach even 50% of power generation from renewable energy by 2060.

He also talked about energy policy of Japan. Japanese government also declared nuclear phase out policy after the Fukushima accident. However, during recent visit to Japan he advised Japanese government that nuclear phase out policy might be inappropriate. Since then, Japanese government started reconsidering about the policy.

As a former secretary of energy in the US, he emphasized the role of policymakers. Dr. Chu recommended Korean people not to follow the German case in which the political misjudgment has created the extra costs on the people. He also mentioned that Korean policymakers should communicate with scientists for the important decisions for the future.