South Korea is easing the consent requirement for increasing direct subsidies to residents living near power transmission and substation facilities, lowering the threshold from "unanimous approval" to "75% resident consent." Previously, a single objection could block changes to the support format, but residents will now find it easier to tailor support programs to local conditions.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said Wednesday that an amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Compensation and Support for Areas Surrounding Transmission and Substation Facilities, containing these provisions, was approved at a Cabinet meeting on the 26th. Support for areas surrounding transmission and substation facilities is divided into "community support projects," which serve the entire community through measures such as installing village welfare facilities, and "individual resident support projects," which provide direct assistance to individual residents through means such as electricity bill subsidies. The two categories are weighted equally by default, but the proportion allocated to a specific category can be expanded with resident consent.
The problem was that the "resident consent" requirement had been set at "unanimous approval." This meant that even a single objection from a resident could prevent any adjustment to the proportions of support projects. As a result, critics had pointed out that it was difficult for local residents to pursue diverse projects suited to the character of their community.
In practice, while local residents and Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) clash over the scale of compensation in the early stages of transmission grid construction, projects often face delays once compensation amounts are set, as internal disputes among residents flare up over how to use the funds. The amendment aims to prevent such unnecessary delays by easing the consent requirement to "75% of residents."
The amendment also includes a provision allowing unspent balances from regular execution to be carried over to the following year. Previously, carryover of support funds was permitted only under limited circumstances, such as natural disasters or projects requiring long-term review. Now, with resident consent, support funds can be carried over, allowing residents to pursue a wider range of support projects. "We will continue to develop the system in a direction that enhances the rights and interests of residents in areas surrounding transmission and substation facilities," a Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment official said.
