Haenam-gun, the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy and the South Jeolla Province–Gwangju integrated special city cooperate to establish a renewable energy supply base.
Haenam-gun signed a regulatory reform MOU for building an RE100 industrial ecosystem Wednesday at the 2026 Asia-Pacific Renewable Energy Matching Forum, held at the Westin Josun Seoul hotel. The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy, the South Jeolla Province–Gwangju integrated special city and other local governments were also parties to the agreement.
The MOU was drawn up to establish a stable renewable energy supply base needed to advance the government's three major mega-projects and to remove institutional and administrative barriers that have hindered the expansion of renewable energy.
Through the agreement, central and local governments pledged to actively cooperate in expanding renewable energy supply and supporting companies in meeting their RE100 commitments.
Specific areas of cooperation include building a renewable energy supply base, improving regulations such as setback distances for solar installations, streamlining development and licensing approvals, identifying suitable sites for renewable energy development, linking power generation facilities with corporate locations and electricity infrastructure, supporting companies' RE100 compliance and regional investment, and spreading community-participatory business models that generate local income.
Under the arrangement, the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy will provide policy and institutional support and coordinate with relevant agencies, while the South Jeolla Province–Gwangju integrated special city will handle metropolitan-level support including power infrastructure linkage and corporate attraction. Haenam-gun and other basic local governments will pursue regulatory improvements suited to local conditions, licensing support, planned-site identification and community cooperation.
Building on the MOU, Haenam-gun plans to work with relevant agencies to expand renewable energy supply and power infrastructure in connection with advanced industries such as the Solaseado AI data center, and to develop a community-benefit renewable energy business model that ties corporate investment to local income generation.
Deputy County Administrator Kim Byeong-seong of Haenam-gun, who attended the signing ceremony, said a stable renewable energy supply base is "a core condition underpinning investment and growth in advanced industries such as AI data centers." Kim added that the county would "work closely with relevant agencies to support companies' RE100 compliance and ensure that the development of the renewable energy industry translates into a revitalized local economy and higher incomes for residents."
Meanwhile, the forum — co-hosted by the Corporate Renewable Energy Foundation and the Climate Group — ran from Tuesday to Wednesday and served as a platform to discuss the expansion of corporate renewable energy procurement, policy direction and cooperation between energy buyers and suppliers.
kkm9971@heraldcorp.com
