Renewable energy spatial plan delayed again in Greece

Ten years have passed since the European Commission first asked Greece to modernize its renewable energy spatial plan.

The Ministry of Environment and Energy has once again extended the deadline for the new renewable energy spatial plan to the end of 2024.

In 2023, the commission published an informed opinion about the issue, saying that the environmental consequences of Natura 2000 zones must be properly evaluated. The current version of the spatial plan is not compatible with European law, so it must be changed. This is the last step before the commission refers Greece to the European Court of Justice.

Even though the ministry’s work group delivered the plan’s draft last year, new requirements have to be included. The ministry has explained the latest delay due to the need to include so-called renewable energy acceleration areas. Equally important, the ministry will decide whether to reduce the areas of wind energy priority across the country.

Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the ministry have decided to enforce a two-year ban on wind turbine installation on certain mountaintops that are considered important because of their natural beauty or cultural significance.

Environmental groups protest

It should be noted that environmental groups consider the constant delays in the spatial plan to be a deliberate result. They claim that through the absence of a modern plan, renewable energy projects were allowed indiscriminately across the country. Also, they note that by the time the new plan is ready, installations equal to 50% of the electricity production mix will already be operational.

Apart from the Renewables Spatial Planning, the European Commission decided last year to refer Greece to the European Court for not realizing the Directive concerning Maritime Spatial Plans. European Union member-states had to submit their plans by March 2021, which Greece failed to do.