Eight villages in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, have been selected for the 'Sunlight Income Village' project, which allows residents to own and operate solar power facilities and share the profits. The county will support the development of village-specific projects and implement a solar income program for all residents.
According to Hwacheon County on October 8, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on October 7 that it had selected the following villages for the second round of the Sunlight Income Village project: Pungsan 1-ri in Hwacheon-eup, Gancheong 1-ri, Dosong-ri, Oeum 2-ri, and Yuchon 1-ri in Gandon-myeon, Samhwa-ri in Hanam-myeon, and Bong-o 2-ri and Sanyang 2-ri in Sangseo-myeon.
The Sunlight Income Village initiative involves residents forming cooperatives to establish solar power facilities ranging from 300 kW to 1 MW in size. Residents will own and operate these facilities, using the generated profits to enhance their income and fund community welfare projects.
The county plans to guide the selected villages through the application results and subsequent procedures, providing support for site acquisition, permits, financing, and energy storage system (ESS) integration. It will assist from the formation of cooperatives to the overall project implementation and aims to participate in additional applications to expand the number of targeted villages.
Previously, the county submitted its application on July 31 and responded to evaluations by submitting supplementary materials on August 28.
This selection aligns with Mayor Kim Se-hoon’s income policy, which aims to return renewable energy profits to residents. Upon taking office in July, Kim prioritized increasing residents' income and expressed his commitment to implementing a basic income for rural areas and the Hwacheon solar income program. The county also appointed five new members to the Energy Committee that month to establish a discussion base for renewable energy policies and the solar income program.
While the village-level projects and the universal program differ in how profits are distributed, the Sunlight Income Village allows the local community to utilize the energy profits. In contrast, the Hwacheon solar income program aims to return renewable energy profits to all residents, with plans to develop floating solar power on Lake Paro and utilize idle land at military bases for solar facilities.
To ensure that the initiative translates into actual income for residents, further steps are needed for the establishment and operation of the solar facilities. The announcement did not specify project costs, construction and operation timelines, expected profits, or criteria for profit distribution for each village. Securing sites and funding and clarifying profit utilization methods will be key challenges moving forward.
Mayor Kim Se-hoon stated, “The selection of the Sunlight Income Village has laid the foundation for residents to earn income from solar power. We will do our utmost to provide administrative support to ensure that village projects proceed smoothly.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.