A legislative revision intended to minimize the perceived visual disturbance of offshore wind farms planned off Elounda, northeastern Crete, following strong local reaction, is being worked on, energy minister Thodoris Skylakakis has told Parliament.

The government has decided to reduce the size of the Elounda marine area that would host offshore wind farms to a plot capable of hosting units with a maximum capacity of 400 MW, 57 percent below the original plan’s capacity.

Elounda is one of ten areas included in an initial 2-GW plan for offshore wind farm development around Greece.

Just two or three offshore locations, primarily Elounda, met resistance from local communities, while 95 percent of areas proposed have not provoked any reaction, the minister informed.

Greece’s offshore wind farm development plan is of major importance to the national economy as the country possesses the greatest wind-energy potential in the eastern Mediterranean, Skylakakis supported.

Elounda offers excellent wind-energy potential, but concerns over visual disturbance have resulted in a need to revise the area’s development plan, Skylakakis noted.

“Cases of visual disturbance are difficult as any activity can result in disturbance. We need to keep in mind that, in order to have renewables, some disturbance to the overall setting is inevitable. There is no part of this country without a beautiful setting,” the minister stressed.

He went on to note: “There is a fundamental misunderstanding. Energy production is not for [the benefit of] producers, but for consumers. When it comes to energy matters, we tend to think that production is for producers to have profitable investments. In reality, it is to achieve lower energy prices.”