[Photo] Coal no longer a cheap energy source

According to the Electric Power Statistics Information System (EPSIS), the price for bituminous coal for every kilowatt produced averages to 52.64 won (US$.047), an increase of 10.5 percent from last year and an increase of over 50 percent from 2016. While coal power plant operators have always used price as a justification for relying on coal-based energy, the statistics reveal that coal is losing its main leverage point. When factoring in taxes and environmental costs, coal power plants seem to quickly lose their economic appeal. In the above photo, residents of Samcheok, Gangwon Province, gather on Aug. 19 in front of the Blue House in Seoul to convey their opposition to the construction of a coal power plant in their city. (Kim Jung-hyo, staff photographer)