Greek Environment Minister Stavros Papastavrou has introduced a national spatial framework setting strict boundaries for new solar and wind power installations through 2050.
The Special Spatial Framework for Renewable Energy Sources was approved by ministerial decision and published in the Government Gazette on August 19, 2026. It replaces Greece's previous regulatory framework established in 2008, when renewable energy accounted for a much smaller portion of the national power grid.
The updated rules establish nationwide exclusions and land caps to manage green energy development while enforcing environmental protections. Papastavrou said the policy aims to generate more domestic energy from solar and wind resources to boost national energy autonomy while securing lower prices for households and businesses.
Under the plan, Greece intends to meet its National Energy and Climate Plan targets for 2030. Those binding targets require renewable energy to supply at least 43 percent of gross final energy consumption and 75.7 percent of gross final electricity consumption across the country.
Papastavrou said utilizing solar and wind power requires structured planning, clear rules, and respect for space and the environment. He noted that the new framework shifts renewable growth from rapid penetration into organized spatial development, defining clear zones for energy projects alongside areas where environmental protection must prevail.
Nationwide limits and bans on solar projects
The updated framework creates a unified set of geographical restrictions for new photovoltaic stations across the entire territory of Greece. Under these rules, solar developments are prohibited in protected areas belonging to the European Union Natura 2000 network, forests, forest lands, Ramsar wetlands, and small island wetlands.
Solar projects are also barred from national parks, declared natural monuments, aesthetic forests, Landscapes of Outstanding Natural Beauty, protected cultural heritage areas, designated Roadless Areas, and swimming beaches. Following public consultation, the ministry added historical sites, ancient monuments, other protected cultural structures, and water abstraction sources for human consumption to the ban list.
For floating solar installations, developers must additionally account for underwater sites. The framework bars floating arrays near diving parks, modern shipwrecks, designated vessel anchorage areas, and artificial underwater attractions.
To control the concentration of infrastructure and reduce pressure on agricultural land, the government introduced a strict ceiling on land coverage. The carrying capacity for photovoltaic installations is now calculated per Regional Unit as a percentage of total land area, setting a maximum cap for new solar developments at 1.5 percent of each Regional Unit's total area. This cap directly addresses past local opposition in regions where dense solar concentrations created conflicts over farmland and rural landscapes.
Exclusion zones for onshore wind farms
The framework imposes tighter restrictions on new onshore wind power plants, banning their construction across major urban centers and high-altitude locations. Wind farms are strictly prohibited in the capital region of Attica, the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area, and all geographical areas situated at an altitude exceeding 1,200 metres.
Wind turbines are also excluded from Ramsar wetlands, small island wetlands, Landscapes of Outstanding Natural Beauty, core zones of national parks, specific nature protection zones, Roadless Areas, swimming beaches, and off-plan coastal areas planned for tourism and recreation.
On small islands with an area under 300 square kilometres, wind projects are prohibited subject to specific statutory exceptions. Furthermore, following public consultation, wind energy projects are barred from Category A and Category B zones identified under the Special Spatial Framework for Tourism.
In Natura 2000 Special Protection Areas designated for wild bird conservation, wind development is restricted to exceptional cases. Projects in these avian zones can proceed only if explicitly authorized in an approved Special Environmental Study and if local wind speeds exceed 7.5 metres per second.
Special rules for islands and offshore energy
The regulation outlines specific protection standards for Greek island environments. Developers proposing wind projects on islands must submit a specialized landscape study during the environmental licensing process to evaluate installation dimensions, local landscape character, and visual impacts on surrounding views.
Evaluation of wind energy in mountainous island areas will take place on a case-by-case basis using morphological, ecological, and landscape criteria. The maximum allowed land coverage for wind installations remains capped at 4 percent per Municipal Unit.
To accommodate regions with low overall wind activity, the framework includes a special variance clause. In Municipal Units where average wind speeds fall below 4 metres per second, a wind project may be approved by exception if certified wind speeds at the specific installation site exceed 7.5 metres per second and total turbine installations do not exceed 1 percent of the Municipal Unit's carrying capacity.
The framework also integrates planning for biogas, biomethane, biomass, geothermal power, and small hydroelectric plants, while placing central emphasis on energy storage systems. The Government Gazette text states that developing battery and pumped storage capacity is essential to balance fluctuating wind and solar generation, reduce curtailments of surplus green electricity, and lower market prices during periods of low renewable output.
Future development will also target offshore renewables and offshore wind farms, which will be developed in coordination with Greece's upcoming national maritime spatial planning strategy.
Predictability for investors and local communities
Rapid expansion of renewable projects over the past decade triggered regional disputes in Greece over land rights, tourism preservation, and environmental conservation. The new framework seeks to eliminate regulatory uncertainty by providing clear rules for both investors and licensing authorities.
By establishing transparent criteria, the Ministry of Environment and Energy intends to guide capital investments directly toward spatially appropriate zones from the beginning, reducing delays and fostering local public acceptance.
The state emphasized that the exclusion zones established by the Special Spatial Framework act as an unalterable minimum standard. While regional and maritime spatial plans have the authority to specify local priority development zones, they are legally prohibited from altering or relaxing the national exclusion zones.
Papastavrou said the framework avoids framing renewable policy as a choice between energy needs and environmental protection. Instead, he said, it establishes in advance where green infrastructure can expand and where spatial protection must take precedence, delivering planned growth alongside effective environmental safeguards and clear rules for all market participants.
