By Antonino Caffo & George Mavridis

The shift to renewable energy is no longer a distant vision—it is a pressing necessity. Yet, across Europe, the transition to a clean and resilient energy system faces both shared and deeply localized obstacles. In this first comparative overview, we examine the energy landscapes of Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria—three Southern and Southeastern European countries with immense potential yet divergent trajectories.

Italy: trapped between potential and red tape

Italy is a land rich in solar and wind resources, with 2024 marking a milestone year: renewables covered 41.2% of national energy demand, driven largely by hydro and photovoltaics. Yet this achievement is shadowed by structural weaknesses. The country continues to rely heavily on natural gas, and its electricity market remains tied to volatile fossil fuel pricing. Experts advocate for the decoupling of gas and electricity prices, increased support for energy communities, and the wider use of long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs).

Despite falling costs for renewable technologies, barriers persist: high upfront investment requirements, unstable political signals, and overly complex permitting processes. Since 2000, Italy has undergone three times as many regulatory shifts as Germany, France, or Spain, breeding uncertainty. Participation in auctions remains low, and bureaucratic inefficiencies continue to stall over 1,700 projects launched since 2015. Although local initiatives like the “100% Renewable Network” offer hope, the system’s inertia and regulatory bottlenecks still hinder large-scale progress.

Greece: accelerating but not without friction

Greece has made impressive strides in recent years, surpassing 40% renewable penetration in electricity production by 2023 and up to 48% when large hydro is included. However, rapid growth has created new bottlenecks. Infrastructure remains under strain, with growing grid saturation and curtailments in renewable output. The current model, heavily focused on large-scale installations, has pushed smaller players and local communities to the margins. Despite a strong policy framework and rising citizen interest, bureaucratic delays, limited capacity in public administration, and market concentration, among a few major players, challenge the fairness and effectiveness of the transition. Experts emphasise the need for decentralisation, stronger local participation (e.g., through rooftop solar and municipal projects), and more strategic investment in storage, interconnections, and consumer-level technologies. Greece is clearly on the right track—but whether this momentum can translate into a fair and balanced transformation remains an open question.

Bulgaria: a booming solar sector in an unstable environment

Bulgaria’s energy transition is at a turning point. The country has seen a surge in solar capacity, now accounting for over 53% of all renewable installations. However, this rapid growth masks deeper structural challenges. Wind and hydro remain stagnant, while grid infrastructure is not keeping pace with demand. Investors often face delays, are required to fund transmission upgrades themselves, and navigate unclear or outdated regulatory frameworks.

Political instability and inconsistent policy signals have discouraged innovation and decentralised models. While pilot projects in battery storage and hybrid solutions are emerging, there is no comprehensive national strategy to guide integration or reward flexibility. Public awareness of the benefits of renewables remains low, and social resistance—especially towards wind projects—persists. Yet experts agree that Bulgaria has the potential to reinvent its energy model. With targeted planning, public investment in the grid, and streamlined permitting, it could turn its current boom into a lasting transformation.

Towards a just and effective transition

Despite their differences, Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria share common structural barriers that continue to hamper the pace and inclusiveness of the renewable energy transition. Outdated grid infrastructure, overcentralised energy models, opaque permitting systems, and the dominance of large corporate actors are recurring themes across all three national contexts. Citizens often find themselves excluded from decision-making, while local communities face barriers to meaningful participation—whether due to lack of technical support, financial access, or awareness.

In each country, the promise of decentralisation remains largely unfulfilled. While policies such as net metering, energy communities, and subsidised rooftop installations exist on paper, their real-world implementation is marred by grid congestion, administrative inertia, and limited institutional capacity. For instance, Greece’s energy communities—despite their legislative backing since 2018—still struggle to connect to the grid, and Bulgaria’s pilot initiatives in decentralised solar remain exceptions rather than norms. Italy, meanwhile, sees limited uptake among SMEs and households, with bureaucratic opacity and lack of awareness dampening enthusiasm.

A key concern that emerges across all case studies is the growing concentration of market power. Large utility-scale renewable projects, often backed by multinational energy companies, are favoured by existing frameworks and tend to capture a disproportionate share of public funding and grid access. Meanwhile, small producers, municipalities, and citizen-led initiatives face a structurally unequal playing field. This trend risks undermining the social legitimacy of the energy transition and fueling opposition, especially in rural areas where communities bear the brunt of large infrastructure without seeing tangible benefits.

At the same time, misinformation and political ambivalence continue to cloud public discourse. While the climate crisis demands urgent and bold action, vague narratives, greenwashing, and shifting priorities have eroded trust. The need for transparency, accountability, and clear communication about the social and economic dimensions of the transition is more pressing than ever.

This article marks the beginning of a broader investigative series on the realities of renewable energy in Southeastern Europe. Upcoming chapters will dive deeper into thematic areas such as energy storage, transparency and data gaps, social acceptance, legal disputes, innovation bottlenecks, and green finance. Through interviews, data analysis, and comparative reporting, we aim to shed light on both the visible progress and the invisible barriers that shape the region’s transition.

The full investigation is available in English in the form of a dedicated eBook [HERE], providing a comprehensive resource for researchers, journalists, policymakers, and citizens seeking a deeper understanding of how Southern and Southeastern Europe is navigating the age of clean energy.

This investigation was developed with the support of Journalismfund Europe.