The Municipality of Kythira is focusing on the production of affordable and easily accessible electricity, through the proposal to establish energy community for the Kythera and the Antikythera.
To this end, a committee has been established Cross-Party Study Committee with representatives from the three municipal political groups, who unanimously recommended that the project be awarded to a specialized energy consultant.
The long-term goal is to meet nearly 100% of the islands’ energy needs through self-generation using renewable energy sources.
According to the press release issued by the Municipality of Kythira on this matter:
«Since 2015, the Municipality has been addressing the islands' energy situation in an effort to conserve energy, both to reduce costs and to contribute to the country's efforts toward energy transition. Key elements of the initiative to date include improving the energy efficiency of facilities (primarily lighting) through the use of newer technology and implementing energy-efficiency upgrades in buildings whenever possible.
The City Council recently established a cross-party study committee with representatives from the three municipal political groups (Charalambos Sougiannis—deputy mayor/coordinator, Nikolaos Magoulas, Georgios Didymiotis), KIPA (Ioannis Travasaros), EEPKA (Dimitrios Panaretos), and two private-sector scientists (Manos Vasilakis and Spyros Michalakakis), which, after examining the current institutional and legal framework for renewable energy sources, unanimously concluded that Proposal to Establish an Energy Community, which, initially, will consist primarily of the Municipality of Kythira and its relevant departments and activities, with a view to expanding this initiative in the near future beyond the narrow municipal framework (to local businesses and citizens).
This proposal was unanimously approved by the City Council and serves as our municipality’s guiding principle on energy issues. It demonstrates in practice that there is another solution for the energy transition—one that will benefit our island and its residents and visitors alike. And it provides yet another reason why any consideration of installing dozens of industrial wind turbines on Kythira is unacceptable (an issue to which our Municipality has expressed its well-documented opposition and is also challenging in court).
«The municipality's vision is to make Kythira and Antikythira truly »green» islands,", contributing to the energy transition effort, with the aim of supporting national goals as well as the economic development of our islands. Our long-term goal (by 2050) is to meet nearly 100% of our energy needs through self-generation using renewable energy sources. And, depending on the possibilities, by generating a reasonable surplus that will provide resources for the Municipality to strengthen its initiatives and infrastructure.
- Energy Profile of Kythira
In 2020, Kythira had an estimated total energy consumption of 52 GWh, of which approximately 17–18 GWh was electricity.
The projection of projected consumption trends is shown in the table under two scenarios (a “business as usual” scenario and a “rapid growth” scenario), including the effects of energy conservation. It is based, largely, on the strong growth Kythira has experienced in recent years in the tourism sector, the expected impacts of infrastructure improvements already underway, and Kythira’s potential for productive restructuring (e.g., in the primary sector). In all cases, The production of affordable and readily accessible electricity is expected to have a multiplier effect on local development.
- The Energy Community
The municipality's preliminary study (based on input from industry executives, energy consultants, etc.) predicts that Is it possible for the Energy Community to supply electricity at a cost of around 50–60 euros per MWh? (and this is independent of current, potential, and future dramatic increases in fossil fuel prices). The price cited is based on a typical subsidy scenario for the facility, while further support will be sought from both the central government and the regional government.
- The next steps
The Municipality is pleased to announce that it has commissioned the next phase of the program (establishment of the Energy Community and the Business Plan) to a specialized energy consultant, in accordance with best practices for Energy Communities, following market research and a unanimous recommendation from the Cross-Party Committee. The relevant budget allocation for the first phase, amounting to 12,400 euros, has already been committed, and we expect it to be completed within the next 3 months. This will be followed by the permitting process and then the subsequent phases (construction, connection, etc.).
We have taken the first step—one we believe to be decisive—toward supporting development on Kythira and making the island a model for the energy transition, as well as for environmental and human-centered sustainability. An ideal place where people can live well and thrive.»
