Four Greek holiday islands protesting wind park plans

Four holiday islands are reacting to plans to create wind parks with a capacity of 316.7 megawatts, which are seen providing power for the mainland, saying they would constitute an eyesore.

“This is a huge project that will destroy our island’s landscape and irreparably damage tourism,” said Paros Mayor Markos Kovaios, adding that the island already produces enough power to cover its requirements. “It transforms a tourist island into a power plant. Is this something we want?”

Kovaios is planning to meet Energy Minister Giorgos Stathakis to demand that plans be scrapped for two wind parks on Paros, consisting of 22 turbines in total.

The mayors of the four islands have also filed a complaint with the Council of State, the country’s highest administrative court.

The head of the Hellenic Wind Energy Association, Yiannis Tsipouridis, dismissed the reactions, saying they pointed to ignorance, but also to “misinformation.”