Participation in the Apollo Program and the “Bluetonium Energy Community” can lead to irreparable commitments and damage to communities.

Energy communities must operate in such a way that citizens become producers and participants in the potential benefits of energy production. The proposed
“Bluetoniu Energy Community” does exactly the opposite: it makes citizens compulsory consumers.

There are alternatives that allow for self-production and net-metering, thus ensuring energy self-sufficiency. If the municipal councils do not consider other alternatives and proceed with a model that serves private interests, they can be accused of indifference to the interests of citizens.

We draw the attention of municipalities and councillors to the following legal, economic and moral arguments against the Regional Authority’s proposal.

We call on all councillors to vote against the participation of their municipalities in the Apollo program and to support energy autonomy with sustainable solutions.

In more detail:

📌 Delegation of powers without safeguards

• According to Art . 3852/2010 (Kallikratis) and Law No. 4555/2018 (Cleisthenes I), the members of the Municipal Council have the obligation to safeguard the public interest and not to take decisions that bind the Municipality without transparent procedures and adequate studies.
• The inclusion of the Municipality in the “Apollo” program without clear benefits and with long-term commitments to third-party providers can be interpreted as a breach of duty, according to Article 259 of the Criminal Code.

📌 Opacity in contracts and statutory commitments

• The statutes of the “Bluetonium Energy Community” provide that the Municipality, even if it withdraws, continues to be bound as a consumer.
• This means that the City Council is signing a long-term contractual restriction, which may violate the fundamental obligation of municipal authorities to act for the benefit of the citizens and not for the benefit of third party interests.

📌 Infringement of Energy Communities legislation

• The Law 5037/2023 (New Framework for Energy Communities) stipulates that local authorities may participate in Energy Communities on terms that ensure autonomy and energy production for their own use.

This proposal does not allow the municipality to produce energy but only to buy it at predetermined prices, which precludes the possibility of cheaper, decentralised production.

📌 Increase in energy costs instead of reduction

• The corresponding analysis from other regions (Western Macedonia, Western Greece) shows that the Apollo programme does not reduce energy costs for municipalities, but simply allows participation as energy buyers.
• According to studies, municipalities that invested in proprietary energy communities with net metering are able to achieve 80% lower costs compared to the prospect of municipalities that participated in third party energy communities.

📌 Allocation of electrical space to private individuals

• The municipality is committed to participating in an energy system where the main suppliers are private entities.
• Instead of the Municipality acquiring electrical space for its own generation, it will be granted to third parties who will then sell the energy to the Municipality at market prices.
• There is therefore a potential for financial loss to the municipality, which could lead to administrative or legal control by the relevant authorities.

📌 Commitments for 25 years with no possibility of adjustment

• The contract provides for commitments for 25 years, irrespective of changes in energy prices, legislation or technological developments.
• This means that future municipal authorities will not be able to change their energy strategy without high decommitment costs.

📌 gnoring the alternative to Energy Independence

• There are alternatives that allow for self-generation and net metering that ensure energy self-sufficiency.
• If the City Council does not consider other alternatives and proceeds to adopt a model that serves private interests, it can be accused of indifference to the interests of its citizens.