Lida Rammou is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Biology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She studies the Souslik, a species of squirrel that builds burrows below ground. Her current research, financed by WWF Hellas, focuses on Vermio’s mountain in Western Macedonia which hosts the only mountain population of Sousliks and is targetted by several large-scale wind farms projects. In the second part of this interview, she describes the impacts of large-scale renewables on wild animals.

Lida Rammou is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Biology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She studies the Souslik, a species of squirrel that builds burrows below ground. Her current research, financed by WWF Hellas, focuses on Vermio’s mountain in Western Macedonia which hosts the only mountain population of Sousliks and is targetted by several large-scale wind farms projects. In the first part of this interview, she discusses the lack of scientific methodology in Ecological Assessment Studies necessary to obtain Environmental Permits for infrastructure projects.

Even though it accounts for only about 10 % of direct employment, energy production has structured Western Macedonia’s economy because it dominates the industrial sector which represents half of the Gross Value Added (GVA)1 of the region (against 13 % nationally) (WorldBank, 2020). In Kozani’s regional unit the GVA produced by the energy sector goes up to 60 % (WorldBank, 2020). In other words, this sector produces the majority of the wealth that circulates in the region. Its centrality and its ability to shape the local society shows in the way it affects the educational system.

Giorgos Andreou is Assistant Professor at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (SECE) of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His researches are based on an interdisciplinary approach combining engineering with political philosophy and social sciences to better grasp the issues at stake in the energy transition.

The demography of Western Macedonia is historically linked to the energy production industry. The population of the mining towns of Ptolemaida and Kozani grew steadily until production peaked in 2001. Since then, the privatisation of PPC, the transition to other energy sources and the subsequent job losses have led to the departure of many workers. This demographic decline is one of the main concerns expressed by local residents.