The Wind Parks Distorted Development in Greek Islands—Lessons Learned and Proposals Toward Rational Planning

Dimitris Katsaprakakis (), Nikolaos Ch. Papadakis, Nikos Savvakis, Andreas Vavvos, Eirini Dakanali, Sofia Yfanti and Constantinos Condaxakis
Additional contact information
Dimitris Katsaprakakis: Power Plant Synthesis Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, 714 10 Heraklion, Greece
Nikolaos Ch. Papadakis: Power Plant Synthesis Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, 714 10 Heraklion, Greece
Nikos Savvakis: Power Plant Synthesis Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, 714 10 Heraklion, Greece
Andreas Vavvos: Minoan Energy Community, El. Venizelou 183, 703 00 Arkalochori, Greece
Eirini Dakanali: Power Plant Synthesis Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, 714 10 Heraklion, Greece
Sofia Yfanti: Power Plant Synthesis Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, 714 10 Heraklion, Greece
Constantinos Condaxakis: Power Plant Synthesis Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, 714 10 Heraklion, Greece

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-36

Abstract: The Greek islands have been blessed with excellent wind potential, with hundreds of sites featuring annual average wind velocity higher than 8–10 m/s. Due to specific regulations in the legal framework, some GWs of wind parks have been submitted since the late 2000s by a small number of large investors in the Greek islands, favoring the creation of energy monopolies and imposing serious impacts on natural ecosystems and existing human activities. These projects have caused serious public reactions against renewables, considerably decelerating the energy transition. This article aims to summarize the legal points in the Greek framework that caused this distorted approach and present the imposed potential social and environmental impacts. Energy monopolies distort the electricity wholesale market and lead to energy poverty and a low standard of living by imposing higher electricity procurement prices on the final users. The occupation of entire insular geographical territories by large wind park projects causes important deterioration of the natural environment, which, in turn, leads to loss of local occupations, urbanization, and migration by affecting negatively the countryside life. Serious concerns from the local population are clearly revealed through an accomplished statistical survey as well as a clear intention to be engaged in future wind park projects initiated by local stakeholders. The article is integrated with specific proposed measures and actions toward the rational development of renewable energy projects. These refer mainly on the formulation of a truly supportive and just legal framework aiming at remedying the currently formulated situation and the strengthening of the energy communities’ role, such as through licensing priorities, funding mechanisms, and tools, as well as additional initiatives such as capacity-building activities, pilot projects, and extensive activation of local citizens. Energy communities and local stakeholders should be involved in the overall process, from the planning to the construction and operation phase.

Keywords: wind parks energy Greek islands; just rational energy transition; wind parks impacts; distorted electricity wholesale market; energy sustainability democracy; energy communities cooperatives (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3311/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3311/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:13:p:3311-:d:1686363

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().