Pyeongtaek City Linked-Type Village Communities Benchmark Exemplary Renewable Energy Village

Pyeongtaek City (Mayor Choi Won-yong) announced that the village communities of Daechu-ri, Donggo-ri, and Jukbaek 1-ri, which are preparing to become sunlight income villages, jointly visited Guyang-ri in Yeoju City, Gyeonggi Province, an exemplary renewable energy village, on the 10th for advanced-site benchmarking.

This benchmarking was participated in by a total of 38 people, including the village heads of the three villages as well as residents interested in the project, who came together with shared intent. It was carried out through voluntary participation to successfully attract and prepare for the 'sunlight income village' project, which the current government is promoting as a key initiative.

Guyang-ri in Yeoju, the site of the field trip, is a leading example of a resident-led sunlight income village, where residents themselves formed a cooperative to install and operate a solar power plant and return and share the profits generated from electricity sales with the village community, thereby simultaneously promoting energy self-sufficiency and the revitalization of the local economy.

The residents of the three Pyeongtaek City villages who participated that day listened to detailed explanations about the composition and operation methods of Guyang-ri village's cooperative, the process of installing the solar power plant, and the structure for returning profits to the community. They toured the on-site facilities in person and discussed concrete implementation plans for introducing a Pyeongtaek-style model.

The village head group from the three villages who participated in the field trip said, "Through this benchmarking, we were able to learn practical operational know-how for the sunlight income village project, and the linked-type community project prepared by the city was a great help," adding, "We will successfully build a sustainable energy self-sufficient community suited to the circumstances of our villages."

A city official stated, "The sunlight income village is a project that can only succeed when the village community takes the lead. We are grateful that so many residents participated in this benchmarking, and we will provide various support so that the project can succeed going forward."

The 'linked-type project among village community resident-proposed public contest projects' is a project uniquely promoted by Pyeongtaek City in Gyeonggi Province to support the community activities of village residents in connection with national projects. A subsidy of 3 million won is provided, which can be used for village community gathering activities, benchmarking, and education, arranged so that villages can prepare to become sunlight income villages.