Debt-Ridden Greece Proposes Huge Expansion of Solar Power Production

Greek officials are calling for an ambitious expansion of solar power generation in their sunny country, hoping that large-scale production of renewable energy will generate significant revenues and green jobs for the country’s troubled economy. Greek Energy Minister George Papaconstantinou says his country’s solar power plan, Project Helios, would boost Greece’s solar power production from a paltry 206 megawatts today to 2.2 gigawatts by 2020 and up to 10 gigawatts by 2050. Speaking at an energy conference in Germany, Papaconstantinou said Greece is hoping to attract 20 billion euros ($28 billion) in foreign and domestic investment to launch Project Helios, which could export solar-generated electricity to other European states. Papaconstantinou said that the potential for solar power generation in Greece is enormous, as the country enjoys 300 days of sunny weather a year — 50 percent more than Germany. At present, however, Germany’s solar power production is 80 times greater than Greece’s.