Abstract
Greece has historically been one of the most lignite-dependent countries in Europe, due to the abundant coal resources in the region of Western Macedonia and the municipality of Megalopolis, Arcadia (region of Peloponnese). However, a key part of the National Energy and Climate Plan is to gradually phase out the use of lignite, which includes the decommissioning of all existing lignite units by 2023, except the Ptolemaida V unit, which will be closed by 2028. This plan makes Greece a frontrunner among countries who intensively use lignite in energy production. In this context, this paper investigates the environmental, economic, and social state of Megalopolis and the related perspectives with regard to the energy transition, through the elaboration of a SWOT analysis, highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the municipality of Megalopolis and the regional unit of Arcadia. The analysis is based on four main pillars, namely “clean energy”, “smart agricultural production”, “sustainable tourism”, and “other (e.g., industry, technology, and education)”. The integration of the “Energy Efficiency First” principle, the mitigation of household energy poverty (especially in a region with district heating installations), and collectively driven energy actions for engaging and empowering younger generations (e.g., in the form of next-generation energy communities) are among the solutions that are expected to have a significant contribution towards Megalopolis’ just energy transition.
Highlights
Our planet is facing a vast variety of hazards related to climate change
The main reason is the grave augmentation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere, and especially carbon dioxide (CO2 ), which is related to the greenhouse effect [3]
Electricity production is the sector connected with the highest GHG emissions [4], since fossil fuels continue to dominate in the mix of electricity production methods [5]
Summary
Our planet is facing a vast variety of hazards related to climate change. It has already affected the frequency and intensity of a great variety of meteorological phenomena, such as extreme temperatures, wildfires, heat waves, floods, and droughts [1,2]. Greece has historically been one of the most lignite-dependent countries in Europe, because of the abundant coal resources in the region of Western Macedonia and the municipality of Megalopolis (Region of Peloponnese). The current climate and energy policies at national and European levels have transformed the use of lignite from a solution to the electrification of the country to an economic and political problem, along with the environmental and health calamities which have always been present [31]. The municipality of Megalopolis and the regional unit of Arcadia need a support framework in order to achieve a just transition In this context, this paper investigates the environmental, economic, and social state of Megalopolis and the related perspectives with regard to the energy transition, through the elaboration of a SWOT analysis, highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the municipality and the regional unit. The last section summarises the main points that have arisen
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