Solar park sprawl raising concerns in Thessaly

The agricultural landscape in the Thessaly Plain in central Greece has come under pressure from solar energy projects encroaching on productive farmland.

Regional Governor Nikos Kouretas has criticized the rapid expansion of solar farms, which reportedly occupy productive fields that yield around 40 euros per 1,000 square meters (a 'stremma' in Greek). These areas are being leased to solar companies for approximately 200 euros per stremma over 20 years.

Authorities have also uncovered troubling evidence of unauthorized solar permit approvals on high-yield agricultural land, with 12 specific cases identified where positive assessments were issued in 2021. The governor has called for judicial intervention, anticipating more cases to surface.

Current solar installations cover 38,000 stremmas, while approved projects could impact up to 374,000 stremmas - over 8% of...