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OO RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHTH #1481/01 3030646
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O 290646Z OCT 08 ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2682
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ EPA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 001481 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y  (SENTIVE CAPTION ADDED) 
 
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DEPT FOR EUR/ERA FOR BEH/NELSON, EUR/PGI FOR TESSLER, 
OES/PCI FOR FITE/HUDAK, OES/EGC FOR FENDLEY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:          
SUBJECT: RNEWABLES: A HOT SECTOR STYMIED BY THE USUAL 
GREEK BUREAUCRACY 
 
ATHENS 00001481  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
 1.  (SBU) Summary:  With pleny of natural sunlight and wind, 
Greece is well-positioned to tap into one of the hottest 
sectors in the energy market.  Although improving the 
investment climate for green renewable energy sources (RES), 
particularly solar energy, is a priority, the Greek 
Government still struggles with investor demand that exceeds 
capacity.  EconOff discussed the issue with government 
interlocutors and the private sector including: Center for 
Renewable Energy Sources (CRES), a public entity supervised 
by the Ministry of Development; advisors to the Secretary 
General Skylakakis of the Ministry of Development; and a 
small company called Green Project that works with investors 
on solar energy projects.  End Summary 
 
Bureaucracy Slows Down RES Market 
-------------------------------- 
 
 2. (SBU) The renewables sector in Greece has amazing market 
potential estimated at USD 1.9 billion and a ten percent 
annual growth rate (2005 - 2007) and yet it faces a sizable 
back-log of project requests, particularly in solar energy. 
According to government representatives, the Government of 
Greece (GoG) is working hard to modify its legislative 
framework to reduce licensing requirements and devise 
sustainable financial incentives to attract investors. 
 
 3.  (SBU) CRES Director Papastefanakis told EconOff that the 
GoG was having trouble keeping up with investor demand and 
implementing projects n the green RES market.  He said the 
GoG was over-extended and had trouble managing the number of 
applications from investors for permits, adding that the GoG 
could not sustain the financial incentives offered in the 
long-term.  As a result, he said the GoG was revising its 
legislation to refine both procedural bureaucratic hurdles 
and financial incentives. 
 
 4.  (SBU) Specifically, the GoG was looking at reducing the 
capital subsidy, which presently assists in the investment 
costs of construction.  Eligibility for the subsidy requires 
the investor to prove that they have already started on the 
project and possess sixty percent of financing costs.  In 
addition to the capital subsidy, the GoG offers a feed-in 
subsidy, or a fixed buy-back rate for electricity, to match 
the marginal electricity costs going forward.  The feed-in 
subsidy price is anticipated to drop substantially in the 
revised legislation. 
 
GoG Changing the Rules of the Game 
---------------------------------- 
 
 5.  (SBU) A small company based in Greece called "Green 
Project" told EconOff that the process for a renewables 
roject was much more complicated in Greece than anywhere 
else.  They said it takes at least one year to get the final 
authorization to operate a solar panel in Greece, versus 
Germany where it takes just a month.  Restrictions on lad 
use, so that prime agricultural land is exclded, also play a 
role.  For facilities that poduce over 20 kW and under 150 
kW, it requires extensive maneuvering through the Greek 
bureaucratic system including:  a decision by the Regulatory 
Authority for Energy (RAE), an environmental permit, a 
planning authorities licene, an interconnection agreement 
with the utilty company, and a contract with the system 
operator. 
 
 6.  (SBU) Green Project said the GOG had over-issued permits 
to private operators and would most likely be unable to meet 
the financial obligations required by this over-issuance. 
Part of the problem, they cited, involved the rigid 
requirements of the program developed from the 2006 RES law. 
Green Project said the new legislation may or may not help, 
and perhaps even change the rules of the game.  Even the 
Embassy's own photovoltaic cell project is presently waiting 
for the outcome of this newly proposed legislation and 
whether it will reduce some of the bureaucratic hurdles in 
installing photovoltaic cells on the Embassy's parking garage 
roof. 
 
Capacity Constraints 
-------------------- 
 
 7. (SBU) In addition to the financial obligations, CRES and 
Green Project believe that the electricity grid will not be 
able to absorb nor transmit energy generated by these new 
producers.  Part of the problem is that the photovoltaic 
market was marginal, prior to 2006, and was mainly based on 
off-grid systems.  Grid connected systems began to dominate 
 
ATHENS 00001481  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
the market as late as 2007.  As for wind energy, 
Papastefanakis said wind farms had difficulty providing newly 
generated electricity to remote islands due to a weak grid 
infrastructure.  Simultaneously, it was a challenge to 
interface with those areas that had the greatest potential to 
conduct wind energy but had the least ability to connect to 
the grid infrastructure.  Storage of wind energy also remains 
an issue particularly during the summer season with peak 
demand and low intake.  Papastefanakis said the GOG was 
exploring alternatives including mixing renewable energy 
sources with conventional sources to cover those peaks. 
 
RES Reform a Priority 
--------------------- 
 
 8.  (SBU) Viky Georgakopoulou, Advisor to SecGen Skylakakis 
in the Ministry of Development told EconOff that the program 
for solar energy proposals was a political priority and 
confirmed that the GoG was looking at ways to reform the 
sector to attract investors.  Georgakopoulou confirmed the 
presence of strong investor interest, noting that when the 
subscription window opened in June 2007 for projects totaling 
700MW, it was oversubscribed by over five times by 
applications with a combined total of 3700 MW.  Given the 
technical and financial constraints, Georgakopoulou said the 
GoG could not approve all the applications submitted.  (Note: 
 This is in line with Papastefanakis' comments that the GoG 
does not have enough resources to manage the influx of 
projects.  End Note.)  Despite the backlog, she noted that 
the regulatory authority did plan to review each application 
once the legislation was finalized. 
 
 9.  (SBU) Georgakopoulou pointed out that the new legislation 
would govern investments, subsidies, installations as well as 
electricity production and sales.  Specifically, she 
highlighted that the new law would lower the rate at which 
Greek Public Power Corporation (PPC) will be able to buy back 
electricity from the producer to a more realistic rate. 
(Note:  The pricingof electricity is determined by the 
Ministry f Development and is a ten year purchasing 
agreement between the producer and Hellenic Transmission 
System Operator (HTSO) that can be extended for ten more 
years unilaterally, upon a written declaration by the 
producer.  End Note.)  The law will "clean up the market" and 
will have different sub-chapters on photovoltaics and other 
renewables, she said.  Despite all these efforts, 
Georgakopoulou estimated that it will take an average of 1.5 
years for the realization of some of these projects. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
 10.  (SBU) Greece continues to rank low relative to other 
European countries on the actual use of renewable energy 
sources in spite of strong EU financial support.  On a 
positive note, it recognizes that this sector is key to 
meeting EU obligations and is working towards taking 
advantage of free natural resources.  Greece's challenges 
remain streamlining its bureaucratic machine so that it does 
not alienate potential investors and developing sustainable 
financial incentives, particularly among today's already 
contentious political climate.  End Comment. 
SPECKHARD