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In July 2026, renewables broke the 3 TWh “barrier,” setting a record for monthly production at 3,097 GWh. By absorbing 22.8 GWh of renewable energy that would otherwise have been curtailed, batteries prevented 13.6% of curtailments, which totaled 144.9 GWh in July (or 4.5% of total renewable energy production). Cumulatively over the first 7 months of the year, clean energy sources (RES and large hydro) reached a record high (22,348 GWh), exceeding fossil fuels by 6.6 TWh. There was a significant decline in oil (-38.8%) thanks to the Crete interconnection. However, gas remained at high levels (12,876 GWh, just 3.8%

The debate on the future of Greece’s lignite regions is no longer only about the timeline for the operation of lignite power plants. It is primarily about whether these regions will continue to receive support from the EU Cohesion Policy beyond 2027. In an article published in Oikonomikos Tachydromos titled “Just Transition: The real battle begins now”, Nikos Mantzaris highlights the importance of the decisions currently being taken at both European and national level for the new programming period 2028–2034.

Domestic gas consumption rose in July (5.6 TWh, +11.6) due to increased use in electricity generation. Cumulatively, consumption for the first 7 months of the year reached 40 TWh. LNG ranked first in imports (24.9 TWh), reaching a historic high. Gas exports (10.2 TWh) hit a 3-year high, with 83% going via Sidirokastro. Compared to the other EU-27 member states during the first half of 2026, Greece ranked 6th, reducing its gas consumption by 0.9% compared to 2025, while the EU-27 average was +1.12%.

The Green Tank participated in the European Commission’s public consultation on the future of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives (Nature Directives), which closed on 10 August 2026.

Record low emissions for Greece’s electricity sector in the first half of 2026 (6.95 million tons), due to the interconnection of Crete. The sector’s carbon intensity was also at record low levels both in June 2026 (183.1 g CO2/kWh), and in the first half of 2026 (217.8 CO2/kWh) due to record production from renewables and large hydro, as well as reduced oil use in Crete. Despite the progress, Greece is off track to achieve its NECP commitments due to the maintenance of high fossil gas use.

In an article published in the GREEK ENERGY 2026 annual print edition of energypress.gr, Nikos Mantzaris, Senior Policy Analyst and Co-founder of The Green Tank, examines how growing geopolitical instability is reshaping Europe's energy policy.

In the first half of 2026, clean electricity generation (RES & large hydro) reached a record high of 18,791 GWh. It exceeded the production from the three fossil fuels combined by 5,709 GWh, despite the fact that 9.6% (1,601 GWh) of total RES generation was curtailed. From April -when they started operation- to June, batteries prevented only 2.2% of the curtailments, while they reduced gas production by just 0.6%. Fossil gas remained at high levels with 10,706 GWh and only 195 GWh lower production than the 2025 record, while net exports increased almost sevenfold compared to the first half of

The ARTEMIS documentary series takes viewers on a journey across the Mediterranean, showcasing how science, innovation, policy and local communities can work together to protect and restore some of the region's most valuable marine habitats: seagrass meadows.

In a joint op-ed published in Kathimerini, Nadia Andreanidou (MEDASSET) and Ioli Christopoulou (The Green Tank) highlight the vital role of the LIFE Programme—the EU's only funding instrument dedicated exclusively to nature, biodiversity, and climate action.

Following the European Commission’s proposal to revise the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), Stavros Gennitsaris, Industrial Policy Associate at The Green Tank, explains in his energypress.gr article, “Revising the EU ETS: the choice is not between climate and competitiveness,” why maintaining a strong and credible EU ETS is not an obstacle to industrial competitiveness, but a prerequisite for it.

In this issue, we bring together the latest highlights from our work on energy, climate, nature and Just Transition. From Posidonia seagrass meadows and marine ecosystems to electricity prices, carbon emissions and fossil gas, and from power generation to buildings, transport and industry, we connect the different pieces of a transition that is moving forward—but not always at the same pace for everyone.

Ioli Christopoulou, Policy Director and co-founder of The Green Tank, spoke on the Radio City programme on Athens 9.84 about the importance of Posidonia meadows for biodiversity, coastal protection and climate resilience, as well as the need to strengthen restoration efforts in Greece and across the Mediterranean.

In a new article for energypress titled “An ‘X-ray’ of the marκet three months after the launch of operation of the first batteries”, Nikos Mantzaris, Lead Policy Analyst and Co-Founder of The Green Tank, analyses data from the first three months of battery storage operation (April–June 2026) and assesses their contribution to the electricity market.

The eleventh issue of The Green Tank's newsletter has been published, covering developments over the past six months related to the Just Transition of lignite regions in Greece and across Europe (January–June 2026).