The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE, Minister Kim Sungwhan) announced that it will hold the first Central-Local Energy Transition Consultative Council (the “Council”), chaired by Minister Kim Sungwhan, on the afternoon of February 5 at the International Conference Room of the Annex Building of the Government Complex Seoul, with participation from 17 metropolitan cities and provinces.

The government plans to focus on achieving the deployment of 100 GW of renewable energy by 2030 starting this year, as well as expanding “Solar Income Villages” that contribute to increasing residents’ income and revitalizing local economies in the process. To this end, the MCEE will convene the Council meeting with local governments for the first time to discuss measures for close cooperation between the central and local governments.

At the Council meeting, the government will introduce its plans to expand the deployment of renewable energy* and to promote Solar Income Villages**, and will explain in particular that, for Solar Income Villages, it plans to launch a pan-government support body, the Solar Income Village Task Force, within February to provide swift support for demand surveys, site identification, designation of target villages, and permitting and approvals. 

* (Key points of the plan to expand renewable energy deployment) Expanding the deployment of solar power centered on idle land and spaces used in people’s daily lives, and leading the major energy transition through the implementation of “Korea’s RE100 (K-RE100)” by public institutions, among others

** (Key points of the Solar Income Village implementation plan) Promoting support for the installation of energy storage systems (ESS) in areas with insufficient grid capacity and establishing a basis for priority grid connection, as well as expanding financial, funding, and tax support and strengthening cooperation with locally based financial institutions, among others.

At the meeting, participating local governments will share cases of local income creation achieved through resident participation and the efforts of local governments, and discuss ways to expand such initiatives to other regions.

In addition, the meeting will focus on sharing cases in which local governments have identified sites such as public idle land to expand the deployment of renewable energy, and on discussing ways to revitalize local economies through these efforts, promote the expansion of locally tailored renewable energy, and address matters for consultation between the central and local governments. 

Going forward, the MCEE plans to review the implementation status of efforts to expand renewable energy deployment and roll out Solar Income Villages nationwide through meetings of the Council, and to identify additional areas for improvement. To this end, it will strengthen effective cooperation between the central and local governments by, among other measures, establishing regional consultative bodies under eight regional environmental offices with the participation of local governments, in coordination with the Climate and Energy Field Response Task Force launched in December last year, to swiftly address on-the-ground challenges.

Minister Kim Sungwhan stated, “Rapid expansion of renewable energy is essential for the transition to a decarbonized green civilization, and in that process, four policy directions are critically important that aim to share the benefits with local governments and residents, reduce the costs of renewable energy, and strengthen the industrial ecosystem.” He added, “Through the establishment of a cooperative framework between the central and local governments, we will push forward policies with a sense of urgency and continue to work closely together to deliver tangible results felt by the public.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

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