Greece is redefining the boundaries of its green transition through a new Special Spatial Planning Framework for Renewable Energy Sources, unveiled for public consultation by the Ministry of Environment and Energy until June 24.

The proposal marks a clear shift from the philosophy of the current framework, introducing stricter safeguards for environmentally sensitive areas and reopening the debate over where the push for clean energy investment should yield to the protection of landscapes and biodiversity.

The draft framework draws four major “red lines” for wind energy development. Most notably, new wind farms would be barred from islands smaller than 300 square kilometres, limiting future projects to just 15 larger islands, including Crete, Rhodes, Lesvos and Evia. Smaller islands would only qualify for exceptions tied to critical public infrastructure or electricity system security. At the same time, land coverage by wind projects in island municipalities would be capped at 4%.

A further restriction excludes wind turbines from areas above 1,200 metres in altitude, effectively pushing development away from mountain ridges that have long sparked environmental and local opposition. New suitability criteria would also confine wind projects to municipalities with sufficient wind potential, a move expected to place nearly half the country outside the investment map.

Protected areas face tighter controls as well. Restrictions now extend beyond the core Natura zones to Special Protection Areas for birdlife, although limited exemptions remain possible under strict environmental conditions. Even outside protected zones, projects located near Important Bird Areas would require specialised ecological studies.

The framework also imposes limits on the concentration of renewable projects. Wind farms would face maximum land coverage thresholds ranging from 4% to 8%, depending on the area, while new photovoltaic installations would be excluded entirely from Natura zones and forested land. Solar projects would also be capped at 1.5% of each regional unit’s total area.

Offshore wind projects remain permissible, but only outside exclusion zones linked to navigation, defence, marine heritage and critical infrastructure.