The US-DPRK Village Wind Power Pilot Project is the first attempt by a US non-governmental organization to work side-by-side with North Koreans in cooperative development. Previously, non-governmental organizations have been limited by both the American and the North Korean governments to delivering food aid to North Korea.
The project installed seven wind turbine towers in a rural village on the west coast of North Korea. The towers provide clean, renewable energy to the village’s medical clinic, kindergarten, and households. In addition to meeting urgent humanitarian needs, this pilot project enables North Korea to demonstrate that it is willing to conform to international standards for development assistance. It is thus seen as a stepping stone from which North Korea can enter the international development community.
The project is funded by the W. Alton Jones Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the Ploughshares Fund, the Greenville Foundation, the Compton Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation.