- The Green Tank studies all available data, records trends, and, via concrete recommendations, continuously intervenes in the public debate on the development of the institution of Energy Communities and the latter’s contribution to the Just Transition of the lignite regions.
Review #6 (November 2024)
Review #5 (February 2024)
Review #4 October 2023
Review #3 January 2023
Review #2 September 2022
Review #1 November 2021
Policy Recommendations
By The Green Tank
Establish specific quantitative targets and measures in the new National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) for self-production and energy communities. In particular, set a 3 GW discrete target for self-production by 2030.
Ensure sufficient grid for self-production projects by energy communities by establishing a distinct category of capacity margin allocation per substation with a total capacity of 2 MW exclusively for self-production projects by energy communities. Adjustment of the maximum absorption capacity per community energy self-production project to 1 MW.
Immediate resolution of problems of implementation of virtual net metering by providers for existing self-production projects by energy communities, in line with the commitments of the Ministry of Environment and Energy as expressed in the parliamentary scrutiny.
Support energy communities for a smooth transition from virtual net metering to virtual net billing, through subsidies for storage projects and reduction of representation costs, by designating DAPEEP as Aggregator for energy communities by citizens and SMEs as well. In addition, it is proposed to assess the impact of the possibility of sharing surplus energy with other consumers on investment, instead of selling it on the market.
Use existing national and European resources to support energy communities set up by citizens and SMEs across the country. Especially for the lignite areas, due to increased interest and needs, it is proposed to immediately publish a new call for support to energy communities by citizens and SMEs from the resources of the Just Transition Development Program 2021 – 2027, following the model of the corresponding call for municipalities and related bodies.
Facilitate access to bank lending for self-production community energy projects by citizens and SMEs, through the creation of a guarantee mechanism. This can be achieved by setting up a development fund, which could additionally subsidise the costs of project maturity and the costs of installing storage infrastructure.
Use the resources of the Emissions Trading System (ETS), including the resources of the new ETS 2 for buildings and road transport, to finance energy community projects regarding efficiency, electrification of heating and electromobility.
Enhance citizen participation in large-scale RES projects, with a focus on lignite areas by instituting share ownership and reserving part of the shares to be purchased by energy communities.
A special framework for conducting competitive procedures for RES projects should be introduced, involving only Energy Communities and, thus, ensuring a level playing field.
An information hub for energy communities should be launched by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, aimed to strengthen the institution through the collection and publication of data on Energy Communities and the formulation of recommendations (indicatively, regarding support schemes, business models, institutional changes, etc.), as well as to provide direct information on all relevant institutional developments and to address any issues that arise.
News
Ioanna Souka spoke to NaftemporikiTV on 14 November 2024 about the progress of self-production - with 665 MW
PRESS RELEASE Despite the uncertainty which ensued the introduction of net billing, in the first seven months of 2024
The number of energy communities in Greece that are set up purely for self-production of electricity is constantly
The Green Tank approved the amendment to the financing program for energy communities, first published in September 2023.
The Green Tank’s seventh newsletter for the developments of the last six months (January – July 2024) related
The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is the European Union’s flagship for the reduction of greenhouse gas
In an article for Romanian portal ΙnfoClima, Ioanna Theodosiou – The Green Tank’s policy associate - examines the
The need for energy communities - both in Greece in general and in Western Macedonia in particular -
By June 2024, EU Member States are expected to submit their final revised National Energy and Climate Plans
Despite the strong growth and demand for rooftop PV, EU Member States are lagging behind, according to the
Delving into the crucial realm of fostering a just transition within Greece's lignite regions, Nikos Mantzaris shares insights
Drawing on recent joint analyses by The Green Tank on energy communities, Stelios Psomas and Nikos Mantzaris explain
Ioanna Theodosiou, The Green Tank's policy associate, participated in the first open panel discussion of the "What will KOSMOS
P R E S S R E L E A S E In 2023, self-production by households, farmers, businesses,
The energy transition in Greece is in full swing and experts, scientists and citizens map the most important
At the initiative of Electra Energy Cooperative and EKPOIZO, 16 Energy Communities and Civil Society Organizations, including The
Following the workshop "Community energy law in Greece, Serbia, Poland, and Bulgaria. Stock taking and bottlenecks" which was
The sixth newsletter of the Green Tank for the developments of the last six months (July – December
Since 2018, energy communities have taken a central role in the Greece's energy transition as a tool to
In her article entitled “The paradox of Western Macedonia: Energy transition in a bottleneck”, Alexia Kalaitzi, journalist for
Nikos Mantzaris participated in the Energy Community Forum co-organized by the University of Western Macedonia, the Regional Association
Drawing on data from The Green Tank's new review on energy communities in Greece and its lignite areas,
Increase in self-produced energy hindered by lack of grid space and delays in resources mobilization
P R E S S R E L E A S E Almost twice as many self-production projects
With the question “whether Athens can achieve energy autonomy”, Elvira Krithari, journalist for the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, talked
Stressing that the youth of Kozani and all of Greece’s the lignite regions of the country should be
Ιn view of the October 2023 local elections, The Green Tank sent an open letter to all candidates
P R E S S R E L E A S E In recent years, self-production through energy communities
Ioanna Theodosiou participated in the fourth Annual Political Dialogue of the EU Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition,
As energy communities become a vital tool for citizen participation in the energy transition, both in Europe and
In the midst of the energy crisis, energy communities and citizen participation in the use of energy resources
In her contribution to the webinar “Navigating the just transition: role of energy communities”, organized by CEE Bankwatch,
Under a policy measure introduced in 2018, part of the public revenues of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission allowances
Five years of Energy Communities in Greece and The Green Tank launches its Community Energy Watch. Citizens can produce
The Green Tank contributed with comments to the public consultation on the draft bill of the Ministry of
Bringing into the spotlight the role of Municipalities in creating energy communities and ensuring the energy autonomy of
In the city of Kozani, in Western Macedonia, the heart of Greece’s energy transition, local authorities, entrepreneurs, members
The Region of Western Macedonia and The Green Tank co-organize the workshop “Energy Communities: Local authorities, enterprises and
When reducing energy costs becomes an imperative, local communities turn increasingly to renewable energy sources to meet their
Ioanna Theodosiou, policy officer at The Green Tank, participated in the conference “Rethink! Ideas Forum”, in the session
Τhe Green Tank co-organized a special session on “Community Energy and Just Transition in coal regions” in the
Ioanna Theodosiou, policy officer at The Green Tank, contributed to OIKOTOPIA’s special digital issue on energy with the
An article by Ioanna Theodosiou presenting recommendations for the improvement of the development framework for energy communities in
An article by Ioanna Theodosiou presenting the possibility of laying down a state aid scheme specifically for energy
Ioanna Theodosiou participated in a session of the Just Transition Platform, organized by the European Commission, dedicated on
Comment by Ioanna Theodosiou on the recent developments concerning the development of energy communities in an article by
Nikos Mantzaris participated in the event "Scaling up energy communities in Bulgaria", on October 21, 2021. The event
Ioanna Theodosiou presents recommendations to support the deployment of Energy Communities in order to ovecome existing problems, in
Ioanna Theodosiou participated in the event titled “ Non- profit energy communities: Their role in energy democracy and
Opinion piece by Ioanna Theodosiou about the new reality Renewable Energy Communities need to confront. The upcoming transposition
Opinion piece by Ioanna Theodosiou about the role of the Renewable Energy Communities in the Territorial Just Transition
The Green Tank in collaboration with the Heinrich Boll Stiftung Greece are publishing a feature on the contemporary
Opinion piece by Ioanna Theodosiou on energy communities and the role they should and must play in the