As Europe’s islands work towards climate neutrality, spatial planning has emerged as a vital tool in managing the clean energy transition. This was the central message from a recent online workshop hosted by the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat, where speakers from Greece, Denmark, and Italy shared best practices and insights into spatial energy planning on islands.
The event, part of the secretariat’s ongoing capacity-building efforts, brought together planners, policymakers, and local leaders to explore the challenges and opportunities of embedding renewable energy systems into the unique territorial realities of island communities.
Dr Dionisia Koutsi of the Commonspace Cooperative introduced the “island paradox”: rising energy demand combined with fragile infrastructure, limited land, and ecological vulnerability. “Energy transitions are not just technical issues. They are spatial ones,” she emphasised. “Without integrated, participatory planning, islands risk fragmented development, community pushback, and failure to meet climate goals.”
Drawing from Greece’s evolving spatial planning framework, she and Erifyli Parisi detailed the pioneering work underway on Astypalea, where a comprehensive methodology is being applied to evaluate and prioritise sites for wind energy installations. The approach involves detailed environmental assessments, site comparisons, and strict exclusion zones to safeguard heritage sites, tourist areas, and Natura 2000 habitats. Key lessons include the importance of participatory planning, visual impact mitigation, and respecting local identity.
From Denmark, Michael Kristensen of the Samsø Energy Academy reflected on Samsø’s long-standing leadership in climate action. The island, a renewable energy pioneer since 1997, is now advancing towards full climate neutrality by 2050. Spatial planning, he noted, has been pivotal to this journey—balancing infrastructure development with local aesthetics, land use, and economic resilience. “It’s not just about installing wind turbines or heat pumps – it’s about designing a place where people want to live, work, and invest,” Kristensen said.
Christa Kloch from Fejø Municipality added another layer of complexity regarding recent developments on the Danish island. As the island faces decisions on new wind turbine locations, a year-long public engagement process has helped address concerns over biodiversity, landscape impact, and regulatory compliance under Natura 2000 protections. The process highlights the necessity of transparency, environmental assessment, and robust community consultation in energy planning.
From Italy, Claudio Moscoloni from Polito showcased the WIMBY (Wind In My Backyard) project, an innovative and engaging approach to spatial energy planning. Focused on the island of Pantelleria, the project combines immersive 3D tools, virtual reality, and serious games to involve residents in scenario planning and siting decisions for wind energy. In a series of workshops attended by over 100 participants, the project demonstrated how proactive engagement, visualisation tools, and participatory discussions can significantly improve public acceptance of wind projects. Early results indicate a significant shift in community attitudes when citizens are empowered to explore trade-offs and their impacts directly.
Supporting this approach, Petros Markopoulos of DAFNI Network presented tools developed to enable participatory siting of clean energy projects. Through the DIALOGUES platform and augmented reality applications, local communities can engage with the spatial implications of renewable energy development, understand licensing processes, and provide informed input. These tools aim to bridge the knowledge gap between technical planning and public perception, increasing trust and transparency.
Across all three island contexts—Astypalea, Fejø, and Pantelleria—a shared message emerged: planning is the bridge between EU-level climate policy and local reality. Effective spatial frameworks can align energy objectives with land use, cultural identity, and public trust—especially in sensitive island environments.
As the EU advances the European Green Deal, REPowerEU, and Climate Law targets, the role of local planning and citizen involvement will be indispensable. The Clean energy for EU islands secretariat will continue supporting these efforts through knowledge exchange, technical guidance, and project facilitation across Europe’s island communities.