Minister Kim Sung-hwan of Climate and Energy Environment Ministry Visits Yeoju City 'Sunshine Income Pilot Project' Site
[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Eom In-yong] On the 13th, Minister Kim Sung-hwan of the Climate and Energy Environment Ministry visited the 'Sunshine Income Pilot Project' site in Yulguk 1-ri, Heungcheon-myeon, Yeoju City to review the project's progress and held a meeting with residents to hear on-site voices regarding the direction of mutual prosperity and development in water source protection areas.
Present at the site were Yeoju City Mayor Lee Chung-woo, City Council Chairman Park Du-hyung, Korea Energy Agency President Choi Jae-gwan, and residents of Yulguk 1-ri, who discussed ways not only to construct facilities but also to help village communities achieve self-reliance and activate the economy using revenue generated from power generation equipment.
The 'Hangang River System Sunshine Income Village Creation Project' is being implemented for the first time this year as part of the Hangang River System Management Fund's community support project. It focuses on supporting the installation of solar power generation facilities using village community facilities and distributing power generation revenue to village residents on a shared basis.
On this day, Minister Kim Sung-hwan examined the project progress and Yeoju City's plans in detail at the candidate site for the Sunshine Income Village creation project, and requested active efforts from Yeoju City, the Hangang River Environment Agency, and Korea Energy Agency officials to ensure that residents in regulated areas can receive substantive benefits.
A total of 1.46MW of solar power generation facilities are planned to be installed in Yulguk 1-ri, Heungcheon-myeon on the village office, village warehouse, and farmland with support from the Climate and Energy Environment Ministry's pilot project.
Meanwhile, Yeoju City conveyed local residents' concerns about the government's Four Major Rivers dam opening policy and directly submitted a petition to Minister Kim urging the 'maintenance of the operational system of three Nakdong River dams,' emphasizing that maintaining the current dam operating water level is essential in light of the smooth water supply to nearby farmland and impacts on the local economy.
Mayor Lee Chung-woo stated his commitment to making the Yulguk 1-ri Sunshine Income pilot project a model case of energy transition that local governments across the country can reference.
He then proposed improving regulations on community support projects to create rental revenue from idle community facilities affected by population decline and aging, and to allow such revenue to be used as community funds.
In response, Minister Kim Sung-hwan answered, "If rental revenue is to be used as community funds for villages, I will actively consider making rental possible."