Residents of Monemvasia, the renowned tourism destination in southeast Peloponnese, have taken Supreme Court action to prevent the development of an underwater cable interconnection linking Crete and the Peloponnese.

This project is included in a ten-year program endorsed by RAE, the the Regulatory Authority for Energy, for the development of electricity transmission projects in Greece between 2017 and 2026.

The legal action was submitted to the Council of State, Greece’s Supreme Administrative Court.

The project’s planners have paid particular attention to local sensitivities, preparing plans that make the project as discreet as possible by maximizing its underground segments.

The Supreme Court action taken by residents threatens to delay the development of the Crete-Peloponnese interconnection, which represents part of a bigger project to reach the wider Athens area.

The project’s development promises lower electricity costs for consumers and increased environmental protection. Ageing mazut-fueled power stations are used on Crete.

Monemvasia residents contend that the interconnection project’s development will cause irreversible environmental and cultural damage to the region, increasing local health hazard risks and negatively impacting tourism.