Expanding natural gas infrastructure in Greece: Good practice or missed opportunity of a green and inclusive transition?

The vision of climate neutrality is no longer characterised by a single spatial focus as there is a clear need for collaboration at, and across, different governance levels. This is particularly important as regional and local authorities are given a more active role in implementing energy transitions; when it comes to policymaking, though, their needs are not always considered, and decisions are mainly taken at the national level. Such an example is the Peloponnese region in Greece, where many actors criticise the ongoing construction of a new natural gas distribution network. In this article, we explore if this expansion is a good practice, or a missed opportunity of a green and inclusive transition. To do so, we couple high-resolution modelling with policy knowledge and experts’ insights to simulate different transition pathways by 2050. We show that an alternative strategy promoting electrification of heating along with energy efficiency could lead to more benefits at both the regional and the household levels. We also show that if decarbonisation is the real goal, more ambitious renovation targets should be set, while a supporting strategy that assures a fair participation of citizens should be devised. • Demand modelling coupled with policy insights to analyse energy transition by 2050. • Regional governance in support of natural gas creates lock-in at the national level. • National policymaking in place seems like a missed opportunity of green transition. • Alternative pathways, e.g., electrification, can result in better benefits overall. • Renovation rates must increase by at least 1.5 times to achieve decarbonisation.