Social Acceptance of Submarine Transmission Cables Under Excess Renewable Energy in South Korea: Lessons from Public Preferences

This article examines public preferences for a proposed West Coast submarine high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission network in South Korea, installed by trenching and burying the cables in the seabed, which is essential for facilitating renewable energy integration and ensuring a stable electricity supply to the Seoul Metropolitan Area. The purpose of this study is to estimate South Korean households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the proposed West Coast submarine HVDC network using contingent valuation (CV), thereby assessing its social acceptability amid renewable energy integration challenges. Employing a CV survey with a nationally representative sample of 1000 households conducted from late May to late June 2025, the research applies the one-and-one-half-bound spike model to address zero WTP responses and incorporates socio-demographic covariates to account for preference heterogeneity. The analysis estimates an average monthly WTP of KRW 1832 (USD 1.33) per household for the HVDC infrastructure. Results demonstrate statistically significant public support for the submarine HVDC project despite its high capital investment and potential electricity rate increases. These findings underscore notable consumer acceptance and provide valuable welfare insights for policymakers, reinforcing the prioritization of this project within South Korea’s energy transition framework. This paper contributes to the field of energy infrastructure valuation by advancing methodological approaches and offering policy-relevant recommendations for sustainable grid expansion.