In an open letter to the Prime Minister, the editor of the newspaper *To Pontiki*, highlights the environmental risks posed by the announced wind farm, which is expected to trap the famous Cycladic island in a stranglehold. Mr. Dellatolas stressed the need for a Spatial Plan, on the basis of which, business activity related to renewable energy sources would serve the national policy of energy self-sufficiency without threatening the character of local communities.
The full letter:
Honorable Prime Minister
Tinos, the picturesque island in the Cyclades with a strong cultural heritage and vibrant economic activity—an island that you, too, often honor with your presence—has recently been thrown into turmoil.
Unfortunately, both the economic life and the image of the island —a factor that reinforces its unique character and economic activity—are threatened by the way in which the development of wind turbines on its surface has been planned.
Clearly, the residents of Tinos are not opposed to the country’s efforts to contribute to the development of renewable energy sources, which will help the country align with the goals of the Paris Agreement on combating climate change—goals that your government is determined to achieve.
However, they rightly believe that the way in which Tinos has been chosen to contribute to the achievement of the national goal is particularly damaging to the local economy, it alters the island’s character (which is invaluable to its tourist and cultural identity) and creates environmental risks that could lead to the desertification of a large part of an island characterized by its particularly large number of inhabited villages.
After all, it is no coincidence that both the Municipality and the Region are in agreement with the citizens of Tinos in their efforts to prevent a dramatic decline on the island. Mayor Yiannis Siotos’s proposal to even hold a local referendum is indicative of the local community’s sentiments.
As the Regional Governor of the South Aegean, Giorgos Hatzimarkou, has recently emphasized, «under the current legal framework, there is no protection for the islands and no provisions to safeguard their natural character, to prevent their desertification and alteration caused by both wind farms and the oversized accompanying road construction projects.».
This is because «the wind farms on our islands are, in most cases, industrial wind farms with turbines 100, 120, 140, or 150 meters and rotor diameters of 40, 50, or 60 meters.».
Consequently, as Regional Council President Anastasia Deligianni-Aspro has vividly described— «The amount of concrete being poured for the wind turbine foundations at the Prassa–Polemou Kampos wind farm on the island of Tinos is equivalent to that of a five-story apartment building. You can understand what is happening and what will happen. Earlier, when discussing forestry issues, we talked about the expropriation of property. Now I can say that we are talking about the expropriation of islands.».
Mr. President, in order to give you a complete picture of the current plan, I am providing the following information:
The area of Tinos is 197 square kilometers, and the coefficient used to calculate the number of wind turbines that can be installed in each region is 0.53 for the islands. This means that, using the current coefficient, Tinos’s capacity is estimated at 103 wind turbines. Specifically:
► 73 for the former Municipality of Exomvourgo.
► 18 for the former Community of Panormos.
► 11 for the former Municipality of Tinos.
Since installation work can begin only after an installation permit has been issued, at this time only the three wind turbines in Prassa have an installation permit and can be installed. Consequently, I believe there is still time to reconsider the policy in effect to date and, above all, to drastically reduce the 0.53 coefficient for inhabited islands. This reduction is imperative for the following reasons:
The islands are Greece’s main tourist attraction, and the visual impact of wind turbines on the landscape will have a major effect on tourism, resulting in damage that will far outweigh the expected benefits.
Especially small islands that depend entirely on tourism for their livelihood (e.g., Astypalea, Folegandros, etc.) and are known for offering peaceful vacations, will completely lose their character, and in the coming years they will become deserted and be transformed into industrial islets inhabited only by guards and wind turbine maintenance workers.
The islands suffer from water scarcity, which makes moisture a precious resource, since it is essential to the survival of the flora and fauna. Wind turbines dry out the atmosphere (like fans) above the ground, with devastating consequences for the environment.
Mr. Chairman, the potential risks are illustrated by the fact that in recent days in southern Euboea, in the Katsaroni area of the Municipality of Karystos, massive wind turbines were snapped and toppled by gale-force winds reaching 160 kilometers per hour. During the same period, gale-force winds of 145 kilometers per hour were also blowing on Tinos. Anyone can imagine the dangers that would be posed by the presence of a multitude of oversized wind turbines next to the island’s residential areas.
► Proposed solution: Each island could install as many wind turbines as needed to generate the energy required to meet its energy needs. This would help foster a sense of fairness, as the islands would not place a burden on the rest of Greece.
It would be absolutely essential to reduce the permitted height of wind turbines. It stands to reason that, since the islands’ zoning regulations prohibit the construction of single-story stone houses when their roofs exceed the height of the ridgeline, wind turbines cannot be permitted to be installed on a 140-meter-high ridge.
► Proposed solution: The height could be scaled according to the size of the island and the location of the wind turbine, but it should not exceed the existing height by much (40 meters).
It is absolutely essential that Special Spatial Plans be drawn up for each island.
Mr. Chairman, under the current legal framework, wind turbines can be installed anywhere—including in Natura areas and along coastlines—without taking into account the specific characteristics of each location. They are literally placed wherever it suits the investor in question, until each island’s carrying capacity is exhausted. Meanwhile, the local community (municipalities and the regional government) has no say in decisions regarding where these facilities are located. In essence, the investor alone decides where to install them.
The installation of each wind turbine requires accompanying infrastructure: major roads to transport these enormous wind turbines, as well as a HEDNO grid to connect them.
► Proposed solution: Wind turbines can be concentrated in specific areas to minimize environmental and aesthetic impact, and the area required for ancillary infrastructure will also be smaller.
These areas should be designated by the municipalities, which, after all, have every reason and interest in contributing to the achievement of national goals while protecting the cultural and environmental identity of the islands and the economic interests of their residents.
The government should therefore set a deadline for municipalities to provide as much space as is needed to accommodate the number of wind turbines that will be decided to be installed. Any resulting delay will clearly be shorter than the delays caused by the ever-increasing opposition, which in some cases may even lead to the actual cancellation of the wind turbine installation.
Wind turbines that have been granted installation permits could be installed (according to the administration), but only those. Specifically, the Municipality of Tinos owns approximately 1,200 stremmata in Steno. It could perhaps lease the land and generate a steady income from it, or it could build a wind farm there as well.
Mr. President, the residents of Tinos do not «jump at the chance» to engage in activism, except when they realize that they themselves, their normal economic life, the environment, and their island itself are under threat. Activism is their last resort to defend their very existence.
Furthermore, you know from experience that no business venture can thrive unless it is embraced by the local community. This is all the more true when it proves particularly harmful to those directly affected. In particular, no business venture and no political decision on our islands can succeed unless it is carried out with moderation and in a way that does not destroy the landscape, our traditional settlements, our dry-stone walls, and our mountain ridges.
Therefore, since there is still time to reconcile the achievement of national environmental goals with the full protection of Tinos and its residents, I believe that an initiative on your part could break the deadlock, which now openly threatens to lead to a crisis.
In other words, there should be a suspension of construction and licensing for wind farms until a Spatial Plan is in place—the Municipality of Tinos is prepared to submit relevant proposals—that sets forth the conditions for where wind farms may be installed, in accordance with the island’s sustainability requirements.
The residents of Tinos are counting on your immediate response and initiatives to prevent an environmental and economic disaster on our island.
After honor
Antonis Dellatolas
Publisher of the newspaper «To Pontiki»
