Ten Villages to Be Selected in the Second Half of the Year
Solar Power Plants of 145 Square Meters to Be Installed
On May 20, Buyeo-gun in South Chungcheong Province announced that it will actively promote the "Village Pension Support Project" to achieve carbon neutrality and enhance community welfare.
This project aims to establish a "village pension-type welfare model" based on solar power generation, providing tangible income to residents and reinvesting those profits into village welfare, creating a sustainable virtuous cycle.
The county plans to select 10 villages in the second half of this year and install solar power plants with an area of approximately 145 square meters (about 44 pyeong).
The solar power plants are expected to generate about 4.2 million won in annual revenue, which will be accumulated as a "village pension" for each village's welfare fund. Residents will receive a fixed monthly income of about 350,000 won.
In fact, this "village pension-type solar project" is drawing attention as a new welfare policy that enables Buyeo-gun to address both the climate crisis and revitalize the local economy. Each village is expected to secure stable income for about 10 to 15 years after the installation of the power plants, which is anticipated to yield significant long-term benefits.
Additionally, by having village residents cooperate in jointly operating and managing profits, the project is expected to foster a stronger sense of community and build trust among residents.
In particular, unlike other local governments' solar projects, this initiative is distinguished by its introduction of a "pension" structure at the village level. By starting on a small scale and ensuring stable operations, the project provides practical benefits to residents' daily lives, raising expectations for its potential to spread nationwide.
The Village Pension Support Project is receiving strong support from local residents, as it goes beyond simple energy production to generate shared income at the village level.
Residents can enjoy real benefits such as reduced electricity bills, scholarships funded by power generation profits, support for senior centers, and assistance for vulnerable groups.
The county is providing 300 million won, or 83% of the total project cost of 360 million won, while the remaining 60 million won will be covered by the villages. For each village, the county will contribute 30 million won and the village will cover 6 million won, thus lowering the initial investment burden for residents.
Park Junghyun, the county governor, stated, "This project is a model that realizes both carbon neutrality and welfare enhancement through solar power plants operated by the villages themselves," adding, "The key is to create a sustainable structure that combines energy self-sufficiency and community welfare, based on the participation of local residents."
He continued, "We will continue to discover and support resident-participatory carbon-neutral energy projects in the future."
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