Citizen Energy View

That development disputes near a national park ended in the withdrawal of support for large-scale solar shows that renewables that grow without local consent can lose even their policy backing. Some worry tighter rules will slow deployment, but the problem appears to be not solar itself but development that harms the environment without sharing benefits with communities. Projects owned by residents, with gains shared locally, can work to reduce such conflicts. In Korea too, the larger the project, the more environmental review and a local share should be built into the design from the start.

When permitting large solar plants, Korea's government and local authorities should put in place procedures that check both environmental review and the local share up front, so that support is not cut off only after conflicts have piled up. Mechanisms such as Japan's new pre-construction safety checks by third-party bodies are also worth comparing with Korean rules. Developers should avoid sensitive places such as the surroundings of national parks and wetlands, and publish plans for sharing benefits with residents from the outset. Civic groups and residents could propose siting principles to local governments that protect the environment and expand renewables together.