The exploitation of electricity production projects from Renewable Energy Sources for the social and economic development of remote communities. The case of Greece: An example to avoid

Abstract

Since 2009, an anarchic policy has been followed by the investors regarding the submission of a large number of applications in Greece for the construction of electricity production projects from Renewable Energy Sources (R.E.S.). Applications and licenses without any strategic design, usually of extremely large size in relatively small insular territories, often violating several environmental or cultural constraints defined in the relevant legislation. Applications and licenses that have been submitted without informing the local communities, neglecting the existing industrial, agricultural or domestic activities, the land properties and, consequently, provoking the common sense and reverting the generally positive common attribute about R.E.S., recorded in Greece before 2008.These applications and licenses exhibit low maturity, characterized by violation of environmental constraints, disapproval of local communities, inadequacy to procure the required land properties and lack of R.E.S. potential measurements. Ultimately, they exhibit very low probabilities to be implemented. Furthermore, all these premature applications cover large geographical territories, preventing thus other mature and more realistic R.E.S. projects from applying for licensing. Consequently, the existing applications and licenses, instead of promoting the R.E.S. development in Greece, continue to keep it steady.This article aims at the investigation of the causes that resulted in the above described negative reality. Potential deficiencies of the existing legislative framework are analyzed. Some characteristic examples of the submitted applications or issued licenses are presented and their technical and economic feasibility is evaluated.Finally, the article proposes measures for the rational development of R.E.S. electricity production projects in Greece. These measures aim to combine the maximization of the R.E.S. development with the protection of the local communities. Furthermore, they aim to support the participation of local investors and public organizations in the R.E.S. projects. This perspective will maximize the social and economic benefits to the local communities.