Attica governor: No wind turbines in reforested or fire-hit areas

Nikos Hardalias, the governor of Attica, Greece, has firmly stated that the region will not approve environmental impact studies for wind turbines or industrial renewable energy sources in protected, reforested, or fire-affected areas. This categorical stance comes in the wake of devastating wildfires that recently impacted Western Attica.

Hardalias stressed that the primary objective for the Attica Region is the restoration and, crucially, the safeguarding of conditions for the natural rebirth of forest ecosystems. He affirmed that the region, within its responsibilities and in collaboration with the state, will undertake necessary restoration projects in the areas hit by the recent fires, adhering to announced timelines. The region is also prepared to implement preventive measures, including the construction of check dams, with funding already allocated by the central government and the Green Fund.

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No Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the placement of wind turbines and industrial RES will be approved in Attica in protected, reforested, or fire-affected areas.

However, Hardalias underscored that protecting the natural regeneration of burned areas is a fundamental prerequisite. He warned that no restoration or prevention project can substitute the vital need to protect these ecosystems. "As long as I am leading the administration of the Attica Region, I personally commit to practically shielding, within our responsibilities, every inch of natural regeneration in the areas affected by the recent fires," he declared.

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As long as I am leading the administration of the Attica Region, I personally commit to practically shielding, within our responsibilities, every inch of natural regeneration in the areas affected by the recent fires.

The governor specifically addressed the installation of renewable energy units, stating, "No Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the placement of wind turbines and industrial RES will be approved in Attica in protected, reforested, or fire-affected areas." He highlighted that the burned forest areas in Western Attica are not considered available space for new activities. "The forests and mountains that were affected are not an 'empty' space on the map for us," he added, vowing that no environmentally burdensome activity will be permitted in these recovering zones.

Hardalias connected the protection of fire-affected areas with the broader green transition policy, differentiating renewable energy development from ecosystem preservation. "The green transition for us is not an empty slogan," he stated, arguing it cannot be achieved "either by destroying our mountains or by hindering the ecosystems that are trying to recover."

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The green transition for us is not an empty slogan. It cannot be achieved either by destroying our mountains or by hindering the ecosystems that are trying to recover.