Greece’s power grid is rapidly transitioning to greener energy sources, with renewables now making up a record 52.9% of electricity generation in the first half of 2024. This surpasses the combined share of fossil fuels—lignite, natural gas, and oil—for the first time. Renewable energy production surged by 24.2%, setting a monthly record of 2,252 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in June. However, natural gas usage increased even more significantly, rising by 36.9% and accounting for 34.3% of electricity production, a peak not seen in a decade.
The Green Tank, an independent environmental think tank, noted that the increase in natural gas could have been mitigated if the Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE) had not rejected 494 GWh of renewable electricity. For the first time, hydroelectric power ranked third in production, while lignite fell to fifth place. Oil remains primarily used on non-connected islands. Electricity imports were minimal at 342 GWh, and total carbon dioxide emissions decreased by 2.6% to 6.74 million tons.
