Ganghwa's Giljeong-ri selected for major floating solar project

Giljeong-ri village in Yangdo-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, has been selected for the national ‘Sunshine Income Village’ project led by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The project involves the Giljeong Sunshine Income Village Cooperative establishing a 2MW floating solar power facility on the Giljeong Reservoir, which is the largest of its kind in the country.

This resident-participatory renewable energy model allows a community-led cooperative to install solar plants on public or village land. Profits generated from electricity sales will be redistributed to residents through dividends, community welfare funds, and local currency, as well as used for improving the living environment. The project is a collaborative effort where residents and the local financial institution, Ganghwa Nambu Nonghyup, jointly invest in the cooperative. The facility will be built on approximately 20,000 square meters of land leased from the Korea Rural Community Corporation.

Incheon Metropolitan City has provided administrative support through a public-private joint field support team, assisting with resident briefings, education, and the legal establishment of the cooperative. The initiative aims to create a new income base for the population-declining region, potentially serving as a catalyst for population influx and community revitalization.