Environmental organizations demand halt to wind farm construction in northern Greece

The Ministry of Environment and Energy is considering increasing the fee paid by consumers through electricity bills toward renewable energy sources (ETMEAR) in order to deal with the deficit of the Special RES Account (ELAPE) before the situation is completely derailed. Every month the ELAPE deficit is swelling and, according to the most recent unofficial estimates of the Renewable Energy Sources Administrator (DAPEEP), at the end of 2024 it is expected to exceed 600 million euros, against a forecast of €449.8 million in March and €167 million at end-2023. This is due to the de-escalation of wholesale electricity rates.

The environmental organizations Arcturos, the Hellenic Ornithological Society, and Callisto are demanding that the wind farm construction in the Doukas area of the municipalities of Kastoria and Amyntaion in northern Greece be halted, as it violates a resolution by Council of State, the country's highest administrative court.

At the same time, they request that the Decentralized Administration of Epirus and Western Macedonia and the Greek Public Power Company (PPC) "follow the ruling of the judiciary and cease the construction work at the Doukas location."

The said in a joint statement that the decentralized administration issued a new license for the construction in August without a new environmental impact study having been prepared by the company and without stricter environmental conditions having been submitted.

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