The Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI, President Kim Changgil) held a field forum on “Ways to Increase New & Renewable Energy Use in Agriculture” with the Jeju Research Institute and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Agricultural & Extension Services at the Services on Nov. 17. Most attendees at the event agreed that policy efforts are needed to actively utilize new and renewable energy applicable to Korean agriculture.
 

KREI research associate Park Younggu made a presentation, “Economic Ripple Effect of Controlled Agriculture and Aquaculture Using Hot Waste Water from Power Plants.” He said, “If the government supports part of facilities related to hot waste water use, including drains and heat pumps, the investment payback period can be shortened considerably by increasing production and controlling cropping seasons,” stressing the need for policies that strengthen early cost support in case of equipment installation related to new and renewable energy such as hot waste water.
 

Division head Gu Jacheon at the Korea Energy Agency made a presentation, “The Current Status and Improvement Plans of New and Renewable Energy Supply.” He pointed out difficulty in finding locations, residents’ complaints, and the lack of the system as the biggest difficulties in expanding the supply of new and renewable energy, and requested pan-governmental solutions and local governments’ cooperation.
 

Hankyong National University professor Yun Yeongman, in his presentation, “Plans to Increase the Use of Agricultural and Livestock Biomass,” argued, “It is necessary to actively utilize the domestic agricultural and livestock industry’s organic waste resources (including livestock excretions and agricultural and livestock by-products), because they have high energy potential.”