Issue Korea's First Renewable Energy Basic Plan: 100 GW of renewables by 2030, overwhelmingly solar

Summary

In May 2026 the climate, energy and environment ministry finalised Korea's First Renewable Energy Basic Plan for 2026 to 2035, the first statutory plan dedicated solely to renewables. It targets cumulative renewable capacity of 100 GW by 2030 and a renewable share of at least 30 percent of generation by 2035. Reaching the 2030 goal requires 62.8 GW of new capacity, or 12.6 GW a year, about 3.6 times the pace of the past five years. Solar accounts for 56.2 GW, or 89.5 percent, of the new capacity, with onshore wind at 3.9 GW, offshore wind at 2.6 GW and other sources at 0.1 GW. Because the plan pursues rapid solar expansion first and accelerates offshore wind only after 2030, capacity growth to 2030 is effectively determined by solar.