Setback distances for solar power facilities from residential areas, which had been up to 1,000m depending on the region, will be eased to within 200m, and for wind power facilities, from up to 2,000m to within 1,500m. This sets an upper limit on distance restrictions that local governments have each set by local government ordinance.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said on the 11th that a partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of the Development, Use and Diffusion of New and Renewable Energy with these details was approved at a Cabinet meeting. Aimed at improving predictability for power project operators' permits and expanding sites for renewable energy, it specifies matters delegated by law as the amended Renewable Energy Promotion Act, revised in March, takes effect on Jul. 18.
For solar power facilities, setback distances from residential areas can be set within a maximum of 200m, and there will be no distance limits from roads. For wind power facilities, setback distances can be set up to 1,500m from residential areas and up to 500m from roads. However, the distance between the power facility and residential areas or roads must be at least twice the height of the facility for safety.
A setback distance is a standard that requires installing solar and wind power facilities at a certain minimum distance from residential areas, roads, and the like. Currently, 129 out of 228 basic local governments nationwide set setback distances by local government ordinance, resulting in large differences by jurisdiction: 100–1,000m for solar and 100–2,000m for wind. Setback regulations do not apply to resident-participation power installations, building-rooftop solar, or self-consumption solar installations.
In addition, the legal framework for new energy and renewable energy, which had been governed together under a single law, will be separated. The existing Act on the Promotion of the Development, Use and Diffusion of New and Renewable Energy will be divided into the Renewable Energy Promotion Act and the Hydrogen Economy Promotion and Hydrogen Safety Management Act. Accordingly, renewable energy will be governed by the Enforcement Decree of the Renewable Energy Act, and new energy such as hydrogen will be governed by the Enforcement Decree of the Hydrogen Act.
An official from the ministry said, "We will continue to communicate with local governments to ensure the system takes root stably in the field and contributes to expanding the spread of renewable energy."