Mayor Kim Kyoungil: "Expanding Regional Industrial Competitiveness and Energy Choice Through Public PPA"

Paju City Wins Top Policy Award at Korea Solar League
Presents RE100 Model for Industrial Cities Through Public PPA
Recognized for Execution in Resident Solar Participation and RE100 Education
"Paju Energy in Full Bloom"... Unified Approach to Policy and Communication

Paju City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 6th that it received the top award in the Local Government Policy Performance category at the 7th Korea Solar League (K-Solar League).

Paju City is receiving the top award in the Local Government Policy Performance category at the 7th Korea Solar League (K-Solar League). Photo by Paju City

The Korea Solar League is a competition that evaluates solar power achievements in a league format similar to a football tournament, and it has been held annually since 2019.

The city’s strong on-site execution was highly rated in the evaluation, particularly for its public renewable energy direct power purchase agreements (PPA) in which local governments produce renewable energy and supply it directly to local businesses, the expansion of resident-participatory solar power, RE100 education, and consulting and advisory services for small business owners.

Paju City, the largest industrial city in northern Gyeonggi Province with over 5,000 manufacturing companies, institutionalized customized RE100 support for businesses early on, taking into account the city’s industrial characteristics. In 2024, it became the first basic local government to establish an RE100 support team and enacted the 'Paju City RE100 Industry Promotion and Support Ordinance,' thereby ensuring administrative continuity and expertise.

The core initiative is the public renewable energy direct power purchase agreement (PPA). The city is pioneering a nationwide first by directly supplying power generated from plants built on public land to nine local small and medium-sized enterprises through 30-year long-term contracts.

Paju City began with a 1.2MW facility at the Munsan Water Purification Plant as its first power plant and plans to build a total of 5MW of power plants on various public lands by 2026. Companies benefit from predictable pricing and transparent procurement of renewable energy, while the city simultaneously secures industrial competitiveness and a foundation for energy choice.

The resident-participatory solar program began with the selection of 1,026kW in 2023, followed by the completion of four new plants totaling 707kW in 2024, and the selection of an additional 318kW. By promoting various village-centered public projects, the city is expanding income-generating power plants at the community level.

On-site consulting, advisory services, and education are also comprehensive. Through the 'Small Business Energy Wiz' program, 591 business sites were visited and in-depth consulting was provided to 160 of them, resulting in measures to reduce 500kW of contract power and 221,845kWh annually. The 'Visiting Children's RE100 Classroom' provided hands-on experiences for 255 children at 16 locations in 2024, and starting in 2025, the city will train and operate citizen instructors for direct power purchase agreements (PPA), establishing a full-cycle education program for children, youth, and adults.

Paju City Mayor Kim Kyoungil stated, "This achievement is the result of the administration directly designing and implementing an energy transition that businesses and citizens can immediately feel," adding, "We will gradually expand the public-initiated direct power purchase agreement (PPA) to enhance the stability of electricity prices for local industries and broaden the right to choose energy sources."

Meanwhile, the 7th Korea Solar League is jointly organized by the Council of Local Governments for Climate and Energy Transition, the National Council for Sustainable Development, Korea Energy Agency, Korea Solar Power Contractors Association, Korea RE100 Council, the Federation of Citizen Power Cooperatives, and the National Network for Local Energy Transition. It is sponsored by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, Ansan Citizen Solar Power Cooperative, Hanwha Qcells, and EGI Engineering Mutual Aid Association.