The discussion on renewable energy sources in Rhodes should not be limited to the “wind turbines or fuel oil” dilemma. The real issue is much broader and concerns the development model we want for the island in the coming decades, as the Rhodes Environmental Protection Association points out in a press release.
Rhodes, like many of the country’s islands, has developed over the years without a comprehensive and timely spatial plan. The same problem arises with off-plan construction, the siting of hotel complexes, renewable energy projects, road infrastructure, and water and waste management. Often, the investment comes first, followed by an attempt to bring it into compliance with regulations, whereas the correct sequence should be the reverse: first, the area’s carrying capacity, land uses, and required infrastructure should be determined, and only then should individual activities be licensed.
This is particularly important for an island like Rhodes, where available space, water, the natural landscape, and infrastructure are finite. We cannot treat tourism, housing, renewable energy, and infrastructure as separate issues. We need a comprehensive plan that clearly specifies where each activity is permitted to develop, up to what limit, and under what conditions.
At the same time, the planned electrical interconnection of the Dodecanese with the mainland grid is fundamentally changing Rhodes’ energy landscape. Today, the island operates as an isolated power system and continues to rely heavily on thermal power plants that use petroleum fuels. With the interconnection, Rhodes will be able to import energy when there is a shortage and export surplus generation when there is high output from wind or solar power.
The interconnection, therefore, does not eliminate the need for renewable energy sources. On the contrary, it allows for their much greater and more efficient utilization, because the island will no longer be energy-isolated. The goal must be to drastically reduce daily dependence on oil-fired power generation, through a system based on renewable energy sources, storage, energy conservation, and interconnection.
However, this does not mean that every renewable energy project is appropriate in every location. A wind turbine in a sensitive ecosystem or a large solar array on valuable agricultural land may be a poor choice of location. The same applies to a hotel or any other major investment.
That is why the correct stance is not “yes or no to renewable energy,” but rather a “yes” to the energy transition accompanied by serious spatial planning. Priority must be given to rooftops, public and private buildings, hotels, parking lots, and already developed areas, while large installations in natural areas should be located only where the environmental and landscape impacts are acceptable.
Rhodes needs a comprehensive plan that integrates energy, tourism, infrastructure, water, transportation, and the protection of the natural environment. Only in this way can the energy transition become truly sustainable, rather than yet another piecemeal intervention in the landscape.