EU Directive 2001/77/EC on electricity from renewable energy sources (RES) sets an indicative target for Greece, to cover 20.1% of its total electricity demand from renewables (including large hydro), by the year 2010. This target corresponds to about 2800-3000 MW of RES installations (over and above those of large hydro plants), that should be constructed and operated by 2010, i.e. a 6 to 7-fold increase over the country's currently installed RES capacity of about 450 MW.

The above national target of 3000 MW of RES installations operating by 2010 is certainly ambitious but realistic, taking into account the high RES potential of the country, especially its wind energy potential, and the high level of already expressed interest of Greek and international companies, to invest in renewables in Greece. Characteristic of this interest is the fact that in the last 3 years alone, a total of 13,000 MW of applications for RES projects have been made to the Greek Regulatory Authority for Energy, to obtain the required electricity generation license. After exhaustive technical / economic evaluation of these applications, the Regulatory Authority has already awarded electricity generation licenses to RES projects totaling about 4200 MW, 3700 MW (i.e. 87%) of which are wind parks. It is obvious from these last figures, that the entire RES development in Greece will be based on wind energy, which is by far the richest RES resource of the country.

Rapid RES (wind) development will also be the country's primary means of meeting its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, on greenhouse gas emissions. Greece is obligated to curb the increase of its total greenhouse-gas emission levels to +25%, by 2008-2012, compared to the corresponding levels of 1990. According to Greece's National Plan to Limit Greenhouse Gas Emissions, which was approved by the Council of Ministers in February 2002 (Act of the Council of Ministers 5/27.02.2003), RES development (mostly wind) will contribute 32% of the total national effort required to meet the Kyoto Protocol's obligation. This 32% contribution of RES amounts to a decrease of approximately 4.4 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, in the national greenhouse gas emissions, and requires the installation of about 2500 MW of RES, i.e. a figure very close to Greece's RES electricity target for 2010, under Directive 2001/77/EC.

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