Bill for local authorities to offer renewable energy
A proposed Environment and Energy Ministry bill to simplify the licensing of projects utilizing renewable energy sources (RES), which was unveiled for public consultation on Wednesday, will give municipalities and regional authorities incentives for the installation of RES units in order to provide cheaper energy to vulnerable consumers and households living below the poverty line. The proposed bill aims to reduce the average licensing time for new RES projects to 14 months from five years, to increase the capacity of the electricity network to include more RES units, and to develop electricity storage projects with an installed capacity of at least 3.5 GW by 2030. The government’s goal, according to Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas, is to announce the first tenders for battery-powered storage units in the fall.
RES acceleration. Accelerating investment in renewable energy sources is the best option for reducing energy costs, protecting the environment while also reducing reliance on Russian natural gas, according to a study conducted by The Green Tank, an independent, nonprofit think tank focusing on environmental policy issues. Outlining the results of its analysis in an announcement on Wednesday, the think tank said that “renewables can achieve a much deeper reduction of Greece’s dependence on Russian fossil gas compared to the lifetime extension of lignite plants, both in the short term as well as in the medium and long term.” A return to lignite and an extension of lignite plant operation, by contrast, in addition to derailing the country’s climate targets, will be less financially advantageous and will not sufficiently reduce reliance on Russia natural gas, it said.
Choose Greece. The “Choose Greece 2022” tourism conference will take place from 11 a.m. on Friday, April 29 at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center’s Book Castle, in Athens. “The trajectory of Greek tourism toward the future requires a transition from disordered to targeted development, through methodical, substantial and integrated planning within a framework of sustainability, taking into account available resources, specific objectives and emerging trends. In order to succeed, we need vision, will, knowledge and courage,” the organizers said. The event will be livestreamed in Greek and in English. For more information, visit choosegreece.gr.