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Representatives from Jeollanam-do (Republic of Korea), ?ódzkie (Poland), and Gippsland (Australia) gathered online on 30 July for the latest session of IURC Community of Practice 4, exchanging experiences on renewable energy transition, community engagement, and future energy systems.
The session featured presentations by Ms. Suhee Kim and Dr. Minho Lee from the Green Energy Institute (GEI), Jeollanam-do, highlighting the province?s efforts to combine renewable energy expansion with community participation while strengthening cooperation with international partner regions.
Community-Based Energy Transition
セッションを開くと、 Suhee Kim introduced GEI, a research institute affiliated with the Jeollanam-do provincial government, and shared how the province is advancing a community-based approach to renewable energy development.
While Jeollanam-do has abundant renewable energy resources, Ms. Kim noted that expanding renewable energy also brings challenges such as land-use conflicts, community concerns, and increasing pressure on existing energy infrastructure. To address these issues, the province promotes a model built on transparency, stakeholder engagement, and benefit-sharing, recognising that community acceptance is essential for a successful and sustainable energy transition.
Ms. Kim presented examples of agrivoltaics and offshore wind projects, demonstrating how local governments, researchers, farmers, fishing communities, and private sector partners work together throughout project planning and implementation. These initiatives aim to ensure that renewable energy development supports local livelihoods while creating new economic opportunities for communities.
Looking ahead, Ms. Kim proposed several opportunities for collaboration under the IURC Programme, including joint pilot projects on agrivoltaics, community engagement models for offshore wind development, and future energy systems.
Building a Smarter and More Flexible Energy System
The second presentation, delivered by Dr. Minho Lee, on behalf of Dr. In-Sung Jeong, focused on Jeollanam-do’s vision for a next-generation power grid capable of supporting the province’s growing renewable energy capacity.
Dr. Lee introduced the province’s Microgrid (MG) Governance Strategy, which aims to develop tailored microgrid models based on the characteristics and energy needs of 22 individual municipalities. Rather than adopting a single solution across the province, the strategy seeks to create a more flexible and resilient energy system based on local context and industrial characteristics that can better integrate distributed renewable energy resources.
Dr. Lee further highlighted Jeollanam-do?s Medium Voltage Direct Current (MVDC) initiative, a pioneering regional green energy project focusing on direct current distribution infrastructure and renewable integration.
Dr. Lee also presented Jeollanam-do’s public Virtual Power Plant (VPP) model, designed to improve energy management while promoting collaboration among local governments, public institutions, industry, and local communities.
Together, these initiatives are expected to enhance grid efficiency, strengthen regional competitiveness, and support the province’s long-term energy transition.
Shared Challenges, Shared Solutions
The interactive session highlighted that many participating regions are facing similar challenges despite their different local contexts.
Participants discussed the importance of community acceptance, with speakers emphasising that successful renewable energy projects depend not only on technological innovation but also on continuous dialogue, transparent decision-making, and meaningful benefit-sharing with local communities.
代表者 から ?ódzkie (Poland) と は Gippsland (Australia) also shared their regional experiences in strengthening electricity networks, improving grid flexibility stability, and preparing local communities for the transition to renewable energy.
The discussion concluded with participants exploring ideas for future knowledge exchange, including the possible involvement of experts working on the EU Just Transition Mechanism in future sessions.
執筆：Yejin Lee、CityNetのプロジェクトアソシエイト、IURC韓国語ヘルプデスク
(korea.helpdesk@iurc.eu)