On Sunday, 23 November, the General Assemblies of Minoan Energy and its subsidiaries Aiolos, Phoebus, and Aroania were held at the welcoming venue of the Cultural Center of the Holy Metropolis of Arkalochori, Kastelli and Viannos, in Arkalochori.
Members who attended in person, as well as those who joined online, had the opportunity to be briefed by the President, Mr. Giannopoulos, on current Community matters, the progress of ongoing projects, and the long‑term strategy that Minoan Energy will follow.
Mr. Giannopoulos began his address by referring to the energy net‑metering projects implemented by Minoan’s Communities, with a total capacity of 3.5 MW. He emphasized that although this number is clearly below the Community’s true potential, it remains a significant achievement given the challenges faced by Energy Communities in Greece. Notably, while nearly 90% of Minoan’s members are based in Crete, most projects—both in number and capacity—are located outside Crete due to the well‑known issue of limited electrical capacity on the island, a matter repeatedly highlighted by our Community.
He then presented an overview of the European projects in which the Community participates, stressing both the legislative difficulties and the benefits for local society, participating municipalities, and specific social groups such as large families and energy‑vulnerable households.
“We have created knowledge, networks, experience, and capabilities—and we have laid the foundations for the future,” he noted.
He continued: “There are enormous deficiencies in the system, and our country is on the wrong side of history. While Europe passionately supports self‑producers, Energy Communities, and Energy Democracy, in Greece we face indifference, reluctance, and downgrading. The result? Bureaucratic obstacles, confusion, and financial traps. The only real way to reduce energy costs and avoid the deception of colored tariffs is self‑production. But since 70% of the population lives in cities and cannot install production units on rooftops, Energy Communities remain the only solution—and the most economical and flexible way for citizens to access the energy they need. What we ask is simple: not to be obstructed, not to be deprived of the ability to implement the projects we are capable of delivering ourselves.”
Regarding the current context, he stressed that we are in a favorable phase: technology is mature and accessible, European funds are available, programs supporting self‑production are being designed (albeit slowly in Greece), social demand is rising, and the climate crisis makes action imperative. On the other hand, the national framework remains hesitant, bureaucratic barriers are increasing, profits are concentrated among a few powerful players, and citizens are being excluded.
He emphasized that Energy Communities are the only mechanism capable of countering speculation, freeing the energy landscape, and transferring benefits to citizens—who deserve them and must be informed and empowered to claim them.
He defined the Community’s short‑term goal as energy autonomy—the ability to manage different energy systems using our technical expertise, enabling an entire settlement to become autonomous. This is the only way to reduce dependence on large private interests and shifting government policies.
👉 Short‑term expectations
🔸 Continuation of an unfavorable legislative framework
🔸 Increasing difficulties for Energy Communities
🔸 Pressure toward production centralization
🔸 Strengthening autonomy‑oriented projects
🔸 Intensification of European programs
🔸 New collaborations with municipalities and the Region
🔸 Citizen training, especially farmers
👉 Medium‑term expectations
🔸 EU pressure forcing Greece to amend its legislative framework
🔸 New energy and economic crises accelerating reforms
🔸 More affordable storage technologies enabling autonomous homes
👉 Long‑term goals
🔸 Thousands of energy‑autonomous homes
🔸 Dozens of energy‑autonomous municipalities
🔸 Hundreds of resilient, socially supportive Energy Communities
👉 Strategic pillars
🔸 Energy autonomy through integrated systems
🔸 Building energy upgrades
🔸 Real‑time smart energy management
🔸 Technical support
🔸 Citizen education
🔸 Utilization of European funds
🔸 Pursuit of partnerships
🔸 Knowledge transfer
🔸 Social organization
👉 He concluded by contrasting Minoan Energy’s values with prevailing market trends:
🔸 When others seek profit, we speak of social solidarity.
🔸 When others promote centralization, we fight for decentralization.
🔸 When others pursue exploitation, we work for fair utilization.
🔸 When others defend the privileges of the few, we defend the rights of the many.
“Many believe that the role of Energy Communities is simply to provide free electricity to their members. But that is merely the outcome of a well‑functioning Energy Community. In reality, Energy Communities do much more—above all, they activate citizens to believe they can solve serious problems.”
During the Assembly, many members took the floor, including the Metropolitan of Arkalochori, Kastelli and Viannos, Mr. Andreas, and the Mayor of Minoa Pediadas, Mr. Kegeroglou. The former spoke of the “service” offered by Minoan Energy, while the latter proposed a new collaboration for the development of a pilot autonomous energy system for water pumping. The session concluded with the presentation of the financial reports of Minoan’s Energy Communities, followed by the vote approving them and discharging the Boards of Directors for the 2024 management year.
👉 The related video is available on Minoan Energy’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkbZI2-A8Cc
English (UK) 
Ελληνικά