PPC may leave farmers in dark
The Public Power Corporation (PPC) is prepared to temporarily remove farmers, electricity-hogging industries and its own lignite mines from the grid to ensure sufficient supply during the Olympics, PPC officials told Kathimerini. Energy consumption peaks during the summer, largely due to Greeks’ recently acquired penchant for air conditioning. However, demand in August – the Games will be held from the 13th to the 29th – is on average about 10 percent lower than the year-high, which is usually recorded in July. According to a briefing offered on Friday by top government energy officials to Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, supply is expected to fully meet demand during the Olympics. In the event of unforeseen complications that knock out up to three PPC power plants simultaneously, farmers, PPC’s lignite mines and certain high-energy consumption industrial plants will be left in the dark. PPC has already secured power imports from Italy and Greece’s northern neighbors.
