Sacrificing Wilderness for Renewables? Land Artificialization from Inadequate Spatial Planning of Wind Energy in Evvoia, Greece

The REPowerEU Plan calls for a massive speed-up of renewable energy, which can undermine nature conservation. We explored the impact of an industrial-scale wind power project planned inside a Natura 2000 site (Special Protected Areas for birds) in the mountains of Central Evvoia, in Greece. If approved, the project could cause significant land artificialization, land take, and habitat fragmentation, having a land take intensity of 4.5 m2/MWh. An important part of forested land (14%) would be artificialized. The wilderness character would sharply decline from 49% to 4%, with a large roadless area (51.4 km2) shrinking by 77% and a smaller one (16.1 km2) lost. The project greatly overlaps with the Natura 2000 network (97%), a regional Key Biodiversity Area and Important Bird Area (84%), and a potential Global Key Biodiversity Area (27%). It might affect 23 globally threatened and 44 endemic species. This case study is a typical example of the poor implementation of the Natura 2000 and EIA legislation and highlights their recurring inability to prevent harmful human activities across Europe from affecting protected species of European interest and ecosystem functions. We conclude with policy recommendations to help increase renewables’ sustainability and minimize land artificialization in the EU.