Crete looking at a summer of blackouts

Greece's Electricity Distribution Network Operator (DEDDIE) has sent a letter to Public Power Corporation warning of blackouts on the island of Crete ahead of the summer tourism season unless measures are taken at once to tackle a host of serious problems.

In the letter, which was also shared with the Energy Ministry and the Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE), DEDDIE said that a significant increase in malfunctions in the island's power grid, as well as a spike in demand of up to 13 percent in recent weeks, demands the attention of the authorities with regard to how the island will cope during the peak of summer in July and August.

Official DEDDIE data point to a shortage of 50 megawatts this summer on the island and 69 MW in the summer of 2020 if steps are not taken to bolster the network with mobile electricity producing units.

The agency suggested that 18...