Originally, the program was designed to be part of the government’s sweeping regional decarbonization efforts to expedite the deployment of renewables. However, a year after the Ministry of the Environment (MoE) launched the initiative, which encourages municipalities to designate local areas for renewables development, progress has been slow.

The program aimed at a unique bottom-up approach, seeking to empower local areas to declare themselves as net-zero leaders. The idea was to have communities take charge of clean energy developments to balance out the top-down national decarbonization agenda.

More than a year after the start of the program, however, only 12 renewables promotion zones have been designated by municipalities. Meanwhile, community opposition to new solar and wind projects is on the rise.

Complaints range from solar panels placed on slopes that are too steep and too close to homes, to tree logging carried out to make space for wind turbines. The national government may now need to adjust its approach for localities to re-engage with new renewables development.