A special act supporting the construction of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers (AIDCs) has cleared the National Assembly. However, the exemption for direct power purchase agreements (PPAs) with liquefied natural gas (LNG) power generators, which had been a key point of contention, was excluded from the final bill, leaving the challenge of securing power — the biggest variable in expanding AI infrastructure — unresolved.
The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a plenary meeting on the 6th and passed the revised AIDC Special Act. The bill's main provisions designate AI data centers as national strategic facilities and support construction procedures including site selection, permits, and power supply. The bill is likely to be processed at the plenary session scheduled for the 7th.
AI data centers are critical infrastructure that must operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, making the stable procurement of vast amounts of power the most important factor. As AI data center power demand has surged, major countries are preparing power supply measures through various means, including expanding power grids, linking renewable energy, and utilizing nuclear and gas power generation. This reflects the judgment that AI competitiveness depends not only on data centers and semiconductors but also on power infrastructure.
Unlike solar and wind, LNG power generation has the advantage of being relatively less affected by weather or time of day and can supply electricity when needed. Since renewable energy alone cannot meet the stable power demands of large-scale data centers, the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee had initially included an exemption allowing AIDCs built outside the Seoul metropolitan area to directly purchase power produced by LNG plants. A PPA is a method in which a power user enters into a direct contract with a power generator to receive electricity, and is considered a means for companies with large-scale power demand to procure electricity stably.
However, the Ministry of Climate and Energy put the brakes on the exemption, arguing that directly connecting LNG power generation to specific data centers could burden the operation of the national power grid. Another point of contention was that forming contract structures between generators in the Seoul metropolitan area and data centers outside it could conflict with the principle of regional power production and consumption. After consultations among the relevant ministries, the LNG direct transaction clause was ultimately removed.
The government maintains that the current power grid system is sufficient to support the AI industry. Bae Kyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, explained at the meeting that day, "The 260,000 GPUs the government has planned require about 500 MW of power," adding, "Considering additional demand from domestic and foreign companies, more than 5 GW of power would be needed, but the relevant ministries have agreed that support is possible under the current supply and demand conditions."
However, concerns were also raised at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee over the removal of the LNG direct transaction exemption. Rep. Park Kyun-taek of the Democratic Party of Korea and Rep. Park Eun-jung of the Rebuilding Korea Party questioned the background behind the government's revised proposal and whether future power procurement measures would be sufficient. Bae responded, "We have determined that supply will be sufficient under the current power conditions until 2030," while adding, "We will keep all possibilities open in our consultations to prepare for a potential surge in demand, such as global companies flocking to Korea."
