Government wants dialogue for bill on geothermal energy
The government plans to initiate a dialogue next month on a draft bill on renewable energy sources with the goal of tabling it in Parliament in the second half of the year, Development Minister Akis Tsochadzopoulos said yesterday. The legislation will include geothermal energy and will facilitate investments in this sector, he told a seminar on geothermal energy. He said the lack of interest in and growth of geothermal projects could be attributed to the existing legislative framework which «must be changed.» Geothermal energy, which is energy derived from springs, geysers or bores, can be found in abundance on the islands of Milos and Nisyros and in moderate amounts on Santorini, Lesvos, Chios, Kos, Samothrace, and the area around Alexandropoulis and Kavala. Greece has an installed geothermal capacity of some 25 MW, used principally for the heating of a total of 20 hectares of greenhouses and 11 hectares of asparagus cultivation. Geothermal energy, however, is fast gaining popularity as a source of heat for buildings and an energy source for air-conditioning units. Greece’s promotion of green energy is in line with the European Union’s objective of increasing the share of electricity generated by alternative energy sources to 22 percent of total gross electricity consumption by 2010. According to Tsochadzopoulos, Greece aims to have an installed capacity of 400 megawatts of wind power by the end of the year and another 100 megawatts from other renewable energy sources. He said that wind power and other sources of green energy could prove to be a solution to the energy needs of small, remote islands. The government has also turned to the USA for help in developing hydrogen- and wind-powered energy.
