Minister: Greece needs renewables in time of austerity
“At a time of austerity, Greek citizens cannot afford to support practices which prolong energy dependence. The choice of importing oil and gas versus producing renewable energy within the EU, and encouraging clean energy exports among Member States, is obvious”, Greek Energy Minister George Papakonstantinou told Wind Directions magazine recently.
He also rebutted the myth that renewables are expensive, saying it was a view he didn’t share, “especially in regard to proven and tested technologies such as wind and solar PV, whose investment costs have been lowered significantly in the last few years.
“Renewables are a competitive and sustainable energy option; they decrease the need for energy imports, and enhance energy security, along with establishing favourable conditions for sustainable development, and creating new jobs”, the Minister pointed out.
He also voiced his support for 2030 binding renewables targets, as EWEA and the wind energy industry have been calling for.
“The EU has provided the power sector with a very clear trajectory until 2020. I personally believe that an equally clear trajectory to 2030 and beyond should be set, as early as possible, in order to provide the energy sector with the necessary investment stability and predictability”.
Read the full interview in the latest Wind Directions.
Good post. Infact Renewables have long history in Greece. I visited Greece(Lasithi,Crete islands).
In Crete almost every alternate house has Solar Water Heater.
In Lasithi thousands of water pumping windmills were in existence. I could see may of them rusting in 1990 during my visit there.
Lassithi windmills: The spectacular vision of white windmills on the Lassithi plateau on Crete Island is one of a kind. The wooden windmills work to irrigate the arable plain in summer. The plain on the plateau covers an area of about 25, 000 kilometers. The windmills are located to the northern entrance of the plateau and they use ground water to irrigate the crops.
They thus help in producing fruits and vegetables of good quality. They remind us of a past when man and nature coexisted in harmony. The windmills can be reached by coach and through the 900 meter-high Diktean mountain pass.
These windmills date back to the Venetian times, when the Venetian engineers built them in 1464. The locally-constructed windmills appeared in the valley at the end of the 1800s. Today, only a few of these white-plastered windmills are in use. The windmills use crude pumping engines and iron towers of simple technology.
During the 1950s, about 4,000 windmills provided much assistance to the local farmers. Most of them have been abandoned for the more efficient electrical pumps for irrigation. Much renewed interest has been recently sown in revival of the windmills.
Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India
Wind Energy Expert
E-mail: anumakonda.jagadeesh@gmail.com