[The Hwankyung Ilbo] The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on June 30 that it would implement a revision plan to reduce REC weight on small solar energy and increase large-scale solar, wind and fuel cells through the "Administrative Announcement of New and Renewable Energy Obligation System and Fuel Blend Obligation System."

In response, environmental groups such as the Environmental Movement Association, the Green Association, the National Association for Sustainable Development, the Korea Society for Renewable Energy Development, the Energy Conversion Forum, and the Korea Citizens' Development Cooperative Association. 

The government is in a hurry to establish a long-term roadmap and a strengthened NDC to submit to the General Assembly of Parties to the Climate Change Convention by the end of this year by declaring 2050 carbon neutrality.

However, there are growing concerns that the ministry's revision would go against the path toward 2050 carbon neutrality.

The dissemination of renewable energy, a key means of carbon neutrality, can be achieved in combination with small enlargements and large complexes.

Nevertheless, the ministry is changing its policy to curb small-scale renewable energy projects that increase income and employment of local residents, reduce the load of electricity transmission and distribution as distributed power sources, and increase residents' acceptability.

Participation in small-scale renewable energy businesses, which are still suffering from unstable sales and falling profitability, is expected to decrease further. 

Environmental and energy organizations urged the government to withdraw the revision of the RPS system, which runs counter to the country's carbon neutrality policy, and establish annual renewable energy supply plans accordingly in line with the goal of the NDC.