Greece advances 105 MW public cooperative solar plan in Aetolia-Acarnania to cut bills for farmers

Greece’s energy transition is moving into a new phase in the west, where authorities are preparing what they describe as the country’s largest publicly owned cooperative solar power plant. The planned 105 MW facility, located in the region of Aetolia-Acarnania, is intended to reduce electricity costs while also delivering targeted social support.

Large-scale virtual net-metering with agricultural and social benefits

The project is expected to rank among Europe’s biggest virtual net-metering schemes once operational. Greek officials estimate that approximately 147,000 farmers could benefit from significantly lower electricity costs through participation in the scheme.

Beyond agriculture, the plan includes a social component aimed at vulnerable households. Authorities expect around 17,000 at-risk households to receive free electricity under the initiative, positioning the project as both an energy transition measure and a form of assistance.

Legislation and parliamentary approval enable the investment

The initiative was enabled by special legislation introduced by the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy and subsequently approved by parliament. Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou said the investment represents an important milestone for Greece’s energy transition and for strengthening the strategic role of western Greece within the national energy system.

Officials also estimate that participating consumers could reduce their electricity bills by up to 62% once the project is fully implemented.

Financing, site details and expected timeline

Financing will draw partly on EU-linked regional support: the Western Greece Regional Operational Program has already allocated €25 million for the initiative. The solar plant will be built on state-owned land in Mesolongi, made available through Greece’s Ministry of Agricultural Development.

The facility will cover roughly 130 hectares. While only part of the funding structure has been officially confirmed, industry estimates suggest total project value could fall in a range of €70 million to €120 million, depending on current European utility-scale solar construction costs.

Given the development scale and regulatory steps required—including licensing, tendering and construction—experts expect implementation phases to take between two and four years.

If delivered on schedule, the combination of large capacity, bill-reduction targets and direct support for vulnerable households could make the project a notable test case for how Greece scales renewables while addressing affordability concerns in its power system.