Cretan hoteliers united against offshore wind farms

The state’s proposal to place offshore wind farms off Crete has united the island’s hoteliers in support of the preservation of the natural and manmade landscape.

More specifically, the Lasithi Hoteliers Association expressed strong opposition to the project and all indications are that the case will eventually be taken to the Supreme Court of Cassation (the higher judicial body with power to try cases contested by the Court of Appeals). Objections against offshore wind farms have also been raised elsewhere.

The National Offshore Wind Farm Development Plan foresees the installation in various areas of 1.9 GW of wind turbines. The Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment of the plan was consulted to stakeholders in November and the process is ongoing.

As expected, opposition to the plan’s options is widespread from various parts of Greece, with some of the strongest coming from Crete, with the hotel industry leading the way.