Council of Milos, Greece says no to geothermal development
Klima, Milos Island Greece (Source: Flickr, Klearchos Kapoutsis, Creative commons)
Carlo Cariaga
17 Jun 2026
The Municipal Council of the island of Milos in Greece has published a resolution opposing any geothermal activity on the island.
The Municipal Council of the island of Milos, Greece has issued a unanimous resolution opposing any geothermal activity including planning, preparatory action, or business activities. This comes after the issuance of a document from PPC Renewables (PPCR) on planned exploratory geothermal drilling in Milos, specifically in the Agrilies and Komia-Tsigloures locations.
The island of Milos had been identified as one of the sites of interest for geothermal exploration based on a tender published by PPCR in 2024. Milos has also been identified as a site of high geothermal interest and was a priority area for geothermal development based on the Strategic Environmental Impact Study report that had recently been approved for public consultation.
The decision of the Municipal Council is based on the identity of Milos as an inhabited island with geological, cultural, and tourism value. According to the resolution, the local community opts for a different development model with emphasis on environment, quality of life, culture, tourism, and the protection of the island’s unique identity.
The Municipal Council emphasized that the competitiveness of Milos is based on its natural landscape and geological uniqueness that may be threatened by industrial activities, including geothermal development. The resolution also emphasizes that wind installations are forbidden on small islands of less than 300 square kilometers in consideration of their environmental sensitivity, but that high-enthalpy geothermal energy development remains a possibility.
Further, the island of Milos already has intense mining activity. The infrastructure needed for another large-scale project, including roads and transmission networks, can further burden the small island’s ecosystem.
Outside of tenders and surface studies, no substantial geothermal development has progressed yet in Greece. PPCR had previously announced a plan to put up a 250-kW pilot geothermal development in the island of Lesvos, but no significant progress has been reported on this initiative since 2024.
With its volcanic arc along the Aegean Sea, Greece inevitably has a large share of its geothermal potential hosted by small islands. As already proven by geothermal projects in Azores, Guadeloupe, and Dominica, geothermal power projects can exist harmoniously with the communities and ecosystems in these small islands, giving the local communities a secure and reliable source of power. The reception of geothermal in Milos may not be positive, but many small islands around the world are actively exploring their geothermal resources, with Tenerife in the Canary Islands having recently started an exploration drilling campaign.
Source: Tornos News
