Greece: Islands like Halki to become focus of green investment

Halki and the Dodecanese islands will become the focus of dynamic investments in the green and circular economies, ushering in cheap electricity and new jobs for islanders, the prime minister said on Friday.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis was speaking from Halki, the first island to be included in the government’s Gr-eco islands program, aims to make the islands independent of the national grid by providing them with renewable energy sources and transform them into models of green economy, energy autonomy, digital innovation and ecological mobility.

Mitsotakis said that islanders will work with municipalities to produce the energy they consume, practically eliminating the cost of the energy. “This model of energy democracy can and must become an example for every island, reducing the cost of residential power bills,” he said.

The islanders will become “prosumers,” or producers/consumers who take advantage of natural energy sources without additional expense, he added.

Someone paying 407 euros now in power bills could expect to see that sum drop to 157 euros, which was “a bold response to the challenge of climate change and to the rise in oil and natural gas prices.”

On the island, Mitsotakis inspected a number of projects related to the Gr-eco islands program, which are being implemented by a group of companies (PPC, Akuo Energy, Omexom/Vinci Energies, Citroën, ALD Automotive and Vodafone Greece, with the contribution of Aegean).

The projects include the installation of a 1MW photovoltaic system, which will produce enough green energy able to cover the islanders’ energy demands.

Another project is the donation of six electric vehicles to strengthen the fleets of the island’s police, coast guard and municipal authorities.

Source: ekathimerini.com