Multi-criteria decision analysis of electricity sector transition policy in Korea

The electricity sector in Korea is facing complex sustainability issues with recent government energy policy reprioritizing social and environmental concerns over economics. As a response, we developed a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) model linked to an energy-system model to assess the sustainability of different policy scenarios in the Korean electricity sector. Our analysis shows that, while the new transition policy is not an attractive option in total cost and emissions, it can be desirable when we consider other aspects. Based on several trade-off analyses among different criteria, the most preferred direction of energy transition is reducing coal. This study, based on realistic policy scenarios, will assist in resolving the sustainability conundrum of the Korean energy sector. •Assess the Korea's electricity sector transition with energy model and MCDM model.•Goal programming was used in energy model to derive various scenarios.•Recent government policy is socially more acceptable but not environmentally improved.•The policy is less attractive in electricity model while desirable in MCDM model.•Coal-reducing scenarios were more preferable than nuclear-reducing scenarios.