The new government’s policy shift away from renewable energies “is very clear” said Psomas. “All [the new government] is concerned with is how to promote power generation from fossil fuels e.g. new lignite power stations, new gas pipes and explanatory drilling for oil. So far, it has shown no interest at all for renewables energy” Psomas added. -

Since the end of January, when a new coalition government between a far left party and a populist right party came to power, the new Greek government is at war with many of Greece’s environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The subject of the stormy relationship is the Greek government’s decision to give the final go ahead at Ptolemaida V, a 660 MW new power plant that burns lignite… Energy minister Lafazanis answers that Ptolemaida V [is] required since renewable power plants are intermittent and endanger the country’s energy security. [...]

In May, Lafazanis sent a letter to the European Commission asking permission to operate the Ptolemaida III, a separate coal plant that is shut down due to its very old technology that pollutes the environments enormously. One of Lafazanis arguments was “the economic crisis in Greece, which makes the need for keeping the cost of energy for households’ heating as low as possible.”