Social attitude towards wind energy applications in Greece

Abstract

During the last 3 yr (1999–2002) a significant increase in the utilization of the existing wind power has taken place in Greece, after a long period (1993–1998) of inactivity. Unfortunately, the largest part of new scheduled installations is concentrated in a few geographical regions, in an attempt to take advantage of the existing electrical network capabilities and the acceptable infrastructure situation. This significant concentration of very large size wind turbines, rapidly installed in a few geographical areas, led to serious reactions from the local population, which in some cases even led to the complete cancellation of the wind power projects. In this context, an extensive study is conducted, concerning the public attitude towards wind energy applications, in several island and mainland Greek territories possessing high wind potential and investment interest. The results obtained significantly reveal acceptance of the existing wind parks, being, however, rather against new installations. More specifically, in the Greek islands the public attitude is clearly supportive, while in the Greek mainland the public attitude is either divided or definitely against wind power applications. The most troublesome outcome of this survey is the existence of a specific minority that is strongly against wind energy applications, disregarding any financial benefits. Among the primary conclusions drawn, one may underline the necessity of additional public information regarding the wind energy sector.