Supporting neighboring communities through the Haenam scholarship

Peak Energy Korea is supporting a community scholarship program in Naesari, Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do, as part of its local solar power project. The initiative returns a portion of project value to neighboring households, strengthening trust with residents and showing how renewable energy can directly support community development.

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The scholarship program is designed for children of land leaseholders in Haenam-gun and Haenam-eup who are directly contributing land to the Naesari solar project. By focusing on these families, the program ensures that economic benefits from clean energy development are shared with those whose cooperation makes the project possible. For example, scholarships can help fund tuition, textbooks, and technology for students pursuing secondary or higher education.

This approach reflects a broader trend in Korea’s energy transition, where local benefit-sharing is becoming central to gaining community support. In Haenam-gun, initiatives such as community funds and benefit-sharing models are emerging to link renewable energy revenues with local income and education support, showing how structured programs can turn large-scale projects into shared opportunities.

Embedding value-sharing into renewable energy project design

From the outset, the Naesari solar project has been structured around value-sharing with neighboring communities rather than treating community support as an afterthought. By tying scholarships directly to project operations, Peak Energy Korea is making community benefit a built-in feature of how the project is planned, financed, and run over time.

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In practice, this means allocating a portion of future power generation revenues to sustain the scholarship program throughout the operating life of the plant. Instead of a one-off donation, the goal is a recurring, predictable contribution that local families can rely on year after year.

Embedding this kind of mechanism into project structures also supports social acceptance. Where renewable energy developers have created profit-sharing or scholarship funds, local governments have highlighted them as models for “energy income” that flows back to residents. By aligning project economics with community benefits, Naesari aims to demonstrate a practical, replicable approach to responsible development.

Partnering with local government for long-term community impact

On April 28, 2026, Peak Energy Korea signed an agreement with the Vice Mayor of Haenam-gun to formalize the community scholarship program and confirm a long-term partnership with the local government. This agreement anchors the initiative in a clear framework and signals that community support is a core principle of how Peak Energy Korea approaches development.

Through this partnership, Haenam-gun will help identify eligible students, manage scholarship administration in line with local education priorities, and ensure transparent use of funds. In similar agreements in Korea, local governments have taken responsibility for promoting scholarship opportunities and reporting on outcomes, helping residents see how contributions translate into real educational progress.

For Peak Energy Korea, collaborating closely with the county administration also helps align the solar project with broader regional development plans. By linking the Naesari project to Haenam’s own efforts to build an energy income and benefit-sharing model, the scholarship program becomes part of a larger strategy to turn renewable energy growth into local opportunity and social value.

Continuing our legacy of community-focused clean energy projects

The Haenam scholarship program builds on Peak Energy’s wider commitment to community engagement across Asia, where the company develops clean energy projects that are designed to create local, long-term value. In Korea, this means working hand in hand with residents, landowners, and public partners to ensure that project benefits are visible and meaningful at the community level.

Looking ahead, Peak Energy Korea plans to integrate similar value-sharing mechanisms—including scholarship funding, community programs, and local benefit-sharing structures—into future projects in Korea. Each new project is an opportunity to refine how revenues, expertise, and long-term partnerships can better support host communities.

By embedding community engagement and benefit-sharing into its development model, Peak Energy Korea is aiming to leave a positive legacy in the regions where it operates. The Naesari scholarship initiative demonstrates that large-scale solar projects can do more than deliver clean power—they can also help nurture future talent and support resilient, thriving local communities.

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