Solar Power: Setback Limited to 200m from Residences, Wind Power Capped at 1,500m Distance Regulation

The government will introduce a national upper limit on setback distance regulations for renewable energy power generation facilities, which have so far been implemented differently by each local government. Accordingly, local governments that have set excessive setback distances in their existing ordinances, beyond the limits stipulated in the enforcement decree, will be required to ease their regulations within the new upper limit.

On August 11, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced that the Cabinet had approved a partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of the Development, Use, and Diffusion of New and Renewable Energy. This amendment aims to further specify matters delegated by law, following the revision of the Act on the Promotion of the Development, Use, and Diffusion of Renewable Energy in March, which will go into effect on September 18.

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Solar Power: 200m, Wind Power: 1,500m... Upper Limits Set for Local Government Setback Distances

Currently, setback distances for renewable energy power generation facilities are set by local ordinances. Of the 228 basic local government units nationwide, 129 have established setback distances by ordinance. However, there is significant regional variation, with solar power setbacks ranging from 100 to 1,000 meters and wind power from 100 to 2,000 meters.

According to the amended enforcement decree, local governments can set setback distances for solar power facilities up to a maximum of 200 meters from residential areas. "Residential areas" here refers to locations with at least five or more households. The amendment also prohibits the establishment of setback distance standards for solar power facilities from roads.

For wind power facilities, setback distances can be set up to a maximum of 1,500 meters from residential areas and up to 500 meters from roads. However, for safety, the minimum allowable distance is set at twice the height of the power generation facility.

(After the work report on the 4th, embargoed) Kim Seonghwan, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment, is speaking on July 3, 2026, ahead of the pre-briefing for the climate ministry's work report for the second half of 2026 at the annex of the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun

If Existing Ordinance Is 300m, It Must Be Relaxed to 200m... 100m Remains Unchanged

The standards stipulated in the enforcement decree are not uniformly applied to all local governments; rather, they are upper limits to ensure that local authorities cannot impose stricter regulations than these.

As a result, a local government that has set a 300-meter setback distance between solar power facilities and residential areas in its ordinance must revise this to within 200 meters. On the other hand, local governments stipulating a setback distance of 100 meters will not need to amend their ordinances.

Setback distance regulations do not apply to resident-participation power generation facilities, building rooftop solar installations, or self-consumption solar systems, in accordance with the law. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment plans to hold briefing sessions for local governments across the country and intends to guide them to revise their ordinances in line with the intent of the amendment before the law goes into effect on September 18.

Separation of Legal Frameworks for New and Renewable Energy... Enforcement Decrees to Be Revised Separately

Additionally, the legal framework for new and renewable energy, which had previously been governed under a single act, will be separated. The existing Act on the Promotion of the Development, Use, and Diffusion of New and Renewable Energy will now be split into the Act on the Promotion of the Development, Use, and Diffusion of Renewable Energy and the Act on Fostering the Hydrogen Economy and Ensuring Hydrogen Safety, and the relevant enforcement decrees will be renamed accordingly.

Lee Kyungsoo, Director-General for Renewable Energy Policy at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, stated, "This amendment establishes national upper limits for setback distances that previously varied by region, thereby enhancing predictability in renewable energy projects while also considering local acceptance. We will continue to communicate with local governments to ensure smooth on-site implementation of the system and to contribute to the expansion of renewable energy supply."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.