ESIAPE and ELETAEN: Immediate need to turn to cheap, inexhaustible, clean domestic energy of RES

The need for Greece to become independent of imported fossil fuels that trigger the energy and economic crisis, but also intensify the climate and environmental catastrophe, with a direct shift to cheap, inexhaustible, clean domestic energy from Renewable Sources, was reported by the UN in a detailed presentation to journalists. The representatives of ESIAPE and ELETAEN made special mention of the fact that even now that it has been proven in the most deafening way internationally that RES. is the only solution for economically and environmentally friendly energy, Greece continues to maintain a contradictory attitude, increasing the obstacles for the further penetration of Renewable Energy Sources in the country’s energy mix.

In fact, they noted that while Europe seems to be aware of the mistake it made in terms of lagging behind the development of RES. and to adopt strategies to accelerate the penetration of clean energy, with huge Funding Programs and Action Plans such as REPowerEU, in Greece the debate, even today, seems to focus on how to reduce RES spatially. Almost every month, scattered and often conflicting studies and / or decisions appear, at central, regional and local level, with blind dogmatic horizontal exclusion of areas, without sufficient scientific documentation, with new extensive exclusion zones, without specific examination and weighting of Α.Π.Ε. climate, energy security and the environment, with vague proposals for the complete eradication of RES. from “high mountains and small islands”, proposals without institutional content and without any consultation.

ESIAPE and ELETAEN bid for the criticality of the time period we are going through, emphasizing that this controversial attitude of Greece and the delays in taking actions to increase the production of energy from renewable sources are not without consequences: the cost of electricity does not decrease and growth is slowing down.

In fact, they presented data, according to which:

– € 760 million of the resources allocated to subsidize consumer accounts in recent times came from cheap energy generated by wind farms.

– Based on similar accounts for the first half of 2022, they documented that the already increased prices of megawatt hours of electricity in the daily market would be almost 40 euros more expensive if in the energy mix of Greece did not participate by about 30% AP. E., which limit the participation of conventional units fueled by expensive gas, thus reducing the wholesale price of electricity in our country.

“Greece must decide whether it will move forward dynamically, towards RES, for the benefit of society, the environment and the national economy, or whether it will continue with a significant step or even a setback. Our country has all the conditions to develop a domestic clean energy portfolio that will provide cheap electricity for households and businesses, but also provide valuable revenue to public funds for social policies and quality of life, creating a surplus of clean energy that we can export to neighboring countries “What we have been missing for a long time is the political will and the mobilization towards a national effort of energy autonomy with benefits for all”, stressed the representatives of the two bodies.

Wind energy in particular requires a radical plan, an “REPowerGR” Action Plan, which will include at least 5 policy lines:

Five wind energy policy proposals

1. National Energy Planning

ESEK must be updated immediately, incorporating all the latest developments at European level to increase RES targets. for both 2025 and 2030.

However, it must also have an effective governance mechanism that will ensure that all other plans – spatial planning, specific environmental studies, etc. – will serve the energy and climate goals and will not undermine them.

2. Electrical network

The ambitious project of international and domestic connections must be accelerated, completed and enriched. The strategic goal must be for Greece to become a net exporter of green energy in the next decade.

For the optimal achievement of the ESEK objectives, the Administrators should grant new Final Connection Offers taking into account the renewable energy technology of each station, in order for the granted and the current Final Connection Offers per technology to be in line with the mix of technologies that will predicts the new ESEK for 2030.

3. Licensing and spatial planning

The licensing framework must fully incorporate REPowerEU provisions into their substance – and not just the letter.

In particular, a radical simplification of the process of amending existing environmental permits is required, which has been extremely burdensome in the last two years.

The basic tool for examining a specific RES project. is the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The data of other, more general studies, such as Special Environmental Studies (SPS), should be utilized and taken into account by EIAs, but these general studies (such as NRPs) may not define huge a priori exclusion zones.

4. Tenders and market participation

The immediate announcement of the next tender for new RES projects is required. and the formulation of a detailed program of the next competitions until 2025.

The institutional framework for the operation of the liberalized market, and especially the intraday market, must be completed and operated in practice with sufficient liquidity, so that RES can to participate effectively in the market with full responsibilities.

5. The next big step: Marine wind farms and Storage

Greece must not deny the expectations it has created in the marine wind energy market. It is an opportunity with great benefits on many levels: development, economic, energy, national.

The cornerstone of the green transition is electricity storage. Its rapid and effective promotion in practice, especially with large-scale investments and domestic added value, ensures independence from imported fuels.