Climate & Energy

Recent government announcements on hydrocarbon exploration in the Ionian Sea have been presented as a pathway to Greece’s energy autonomy. However, as Nikos Mantzaris, energy policy analyst and co-founder of The Green Tank, points out on Inside Story, the available evidence shows that this choice runs counter to both the country’s climate commitments and the public interest.

Despite the increase in electricity generation from Renewable Energy Sources (RES), Greece consistently remains among the most expensive countries in Europe in the day-ahead electricity market (DAM). According to a new analysis by The Green Tank, which also compares Greece with Portugal, the main reasons are the country’s growing dependence on fossil gas and the lack of energy storage infrastructure.

In October 2025 carbon intensity in electricity production reached an eight-month peak (266 g CO2/kWh) due to high production from both gas and lignite compared to other months during this period. In the first 10 months of 2025, total emissions reached 12.9 million tons, exceeding the NECP target for the annual carbon budget by 2.7 million tons. Gas-fired units were responsible for 55.5% of the total, setting a 10-month emissions record of 7.16 million tons.

In the latest episode of ADMIE’s podcast “Stin Priza (Plugged In), with journalist Mantalena Piou,” Nikos Mantzaris, policy analyst and co-founder of The Green Tank, explains why renewables are driving down electricity generation costs, yet consumers have not yet seen these savings reflected in their bills. As he notes, the parallel rise in gas-fired generation, the lack of sufficient storage infrastructure, and the absence of incentives to shift demand to low-price hours are undermining the economic benefits of renewables.

Domestic electricity demand in October 2025 was at a five-month low of 4,268 GWh. However, the country continued to maintain high export levels (245 GWh). Renewable energy sources ranked first in electricity production with 1,896 GWh, while lignite reached a three-month high with 195 GWh. In the first 10 months of 2025, we had record electricity production from gas (19,079 GWh) and record exports (1,932 GWh). However, clean energy sources (RES and big hydro) dominated with a total production of 25,306 GWh, despite RES cuts estimated at 1,837 GWh for the 10-month period.

In an article for energypress, Nikos Mantzaris, policy analyst and co-founder of The Green Tank, examines ENTSO-E data and clarifies the factors behind the drop in electricity prices in Greece on November 26, 2025.

The Green Tank participated in the public consultation launched by the Ministry of Environment and Energy on the updated National Action Plan to Combat Energy Poverty, submitting detailed comments and recommendations. The organisation recognises that the Plan moves in the right direction, combining short-term relief measures for households with longer-term interventions aimed at the structural alleviation of energy poverty. However, it highlights the need for improvements in several key areas.

The Green Tank submitted its positions to the European Commission’s public consultation on the Electrification Action Plan, emphasizing the need for a rapid, fair, and sustainable transition to clean energy.

The Green Tank submitted comments and recommendations to the public consultation on the draft law of the Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy regarding the capture, use, transport and storage of CO₂, as well as the related provisions for the energy market.

Greece is ranked 30th in this year’s Climate Change Performance Index (#CCPI) 2026, among 63 countries, marking an 8-place drop compared to 2025. According to the ranking published today at COP30 in Brazil, Greece remains a medium performer in greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, and energy use, while climate policy is once again rated as low.

The energy transition is advancing, but one crucial question remains: are the funds truly reaching citizens and investments, or do they remain on paper? In her article in Efimerida ton Syntakton, Ioanna Souka, Energy Policy Analyst at The Green Tank, sheds light on the significant delays in deploying resources from the Recovery and Resilience Facility — and the social and economic costs of these setbacks.

Domestic gas consumption reached a quarterly high in October 2025 (5.7 TWh), with Russian gas accounting for the largest share of imports for the same month (2.43 TWh). Overall, the first 10 months of 2025 saw gas demand reach record highs in power generation (40.5 TWh) and in networks (10.2 TWh). LNG ranked first in imports with 25.1 TWh (+80.6% compared to 2024), closely followed by Russian gas via Sidirokastro (23.2 TWh). Total exports for the 10-month period amounted to 5.74 TWh, with the largest share (97%) being exported via Sidirokastro.

Despite being the only region to cut emissions in 2023–2024, proposed changes to the EU #ETS2 risk increasing emissions and reducing revenues needed for the green transition. Environmental NGOs and think tanks — including The Green Tank — sent a letter to Commissioner Hoekstra.

In his article on energypress, titled “The weakening of ETS2 as a risk for the European climate strategy”, Nikos Mantzaris analyzes the recent announcement by the European Commission to consider changes to the new Emissions Trading System (ETS2) for buildings and road transport, following a request from 19 Member States, including Greece.