Solar panels stand at the Anjwa Solar City power plant in Shinan County, South Jeolla Province, on Friday. The county distributes part of the project’s profits to residents through local cooperatives under its Sunlight Pension program. Photo by Asia Today
June 15 (Asia Today) -- Salt-damaged farmland once unsuitable for either agriculture or aquaculture has become a source of pension income for residents of islands in southwestern South Korea.
Shinan County in South Jeolla Province operates what it calls a "Sunlight Pension," sharing part of the profits from solar power projects with local residents. The program is regarded as a social economy model that connects large-scale renewable energy infrastructure with household income and local spending.
The county began distributing the pension on Anjwa and Jara islands in 2021 under a renewable energy profit-sharing program. It has since expanded the program to Jido, Saokdo, Imjado and Bigeumdo.
Under the program, part of the profits generated by solar power projects is distributed to residents through local cooperatives.
