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It's already this hot, but it's still July 4th.

There is even a forecast that it will be hotter than normal in August when the heat is at its peak, so it seems that the time to turn on the air conditioner or fan this summer will be longer.

However, the power supply is similar to the past level, so it is a tight situation.



Reporter Jung Jun-ho will tell you about this.



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A beauty salon in Mapo-gu, Seoul.



In the sweltering weather, we try to lower the air-conditioning temperature continuously to avoid the heat of the guests coming to visit.



[Bang Hyo-suk/Beauty Salon President: I do more (air conditioning) than last year.

If it's humid and hot and it's hot for guests, it's a hassle.]



Electricity consumption is increasing significantly due to the early heat wave.



The reserve ratio of electricity generation minus usage was 10% at one point today (4th).



If the reserve ratio falls below 10%, it means that the power supply is unstable.



As the early heat arrived last month, the average monthly maximum power was 72 gigawatts, the highest recorded in June since 2005 when related statistics were compiled.



On the 23rd of last month, the reserve ratio fell to 9.5% in single digits, but if the heat wave continues, the KPX predicted that it could drop to the 7% level again this week.



In particular, in the second week of August, when the heat is at its peak, the power reserve may drop to 5.2 gigawatts, which is the emergency alert standard for the first time in nine years since 2013.


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Experts say that in the event of a sudden surge in electricity demand, it is necessary to consider even a way to forcibly cut off industrial electricity demand temporarily.



[Seung-Hoon Yoo/Professor, Department of Energy Policy, Seoul National University of Science and Technology: When we run out of electricity, we cannot buy it from abroad like in Europe.

Measures have been established so that electricity can be sufficiently supplied without blackouts, such as utilizing demand resources...

.]



The government is planning to use new facilities such as Shin-Hanul Unit 1 and prevent electricity shortages through demand management.



(Video coverage: Jeong Seong-hwa, Kim Hak-mo, video editing: Yoon Tae-ho)