Hope Beyond Coal in Greece’s Valley of Tears

A massive roll out of solar power and energy storage solutions in Greece has quickly turned a bleak future into a bright one for the soon-to-be-former coal region of Western Macedonia. Lignite production in Greece has fallen by more than 80 percent in the last decade. As a result, Greece has reduced lignite-based electricity production and associated emissions by more than any other country in the EU. Coal regions & power companies - once a source of the fossil fuel problems we now face - can play a pioneering role in the transition to clean energy solutions across Europe. With people suffering from high energy prices, volatile fossil fuel costs from the invasion of Ukraine, and climate change biting, we must speed up this work across Europe, and more beyond coal (and all fossil fuels!) in a fast and fair way.