Apokoronas takes high-voltage line dispute to Athens university hall

Summary

The Apokoronas municipal council is being asked to approve a public presentation of an academic research study on the planned high-voltage power line between Chania and Damasta, to be held at the amphitheatre of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) in early September 2026. The municipality also proposes to formally invite Cretan associations based in Athens — especially those connected to Apokoronas — to take part in the event and the public debate that will follow. According to the municipality, the aim is to build a broad public front against a project it says would harm the environment, cultural heritage, and economic prospects of the region.

Apokoronas plans Athens event over high-voltage power line

The dispute over a planned high-voltage electricity line running between Chania and Damasta is moving to the Greek capital. The Apokoronas municipal council is being asked to back a public presentation of a research study produced by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), which examines the possible consequences of the project. The event is planned for early September 2026 at the NTUA's on-campus amphitheatre in Athens.

The research study

The NTUA research team has produced a scientific study documenting the potential impacts of the planned power line route. The municipality describes the study as a significant evidence-based tool that clearly sets out the possible effects on the environment, landscape, and local communities. According to the municipality, the NTUA professors and researchers responded positively to the invitation to present their findings publicly in Athens.

Who is being invited

The municipality intends to send formal invitations to Cretan associations and cultural organisations based in Athens — with particular focus on associations connected to Apokoronas and to individual villages within the municipality. The goal is to ensure broad participation in the event and in the public discussion that will follow the presentation.

What the municipality wants to achieve

The municipality argues that bringing together institutional representation, public information, and community participation will amplify a shared voice against a project that it says directly affects the natural environment, historical identity, quality of life, and development prospects of Crete. This account reflects the municipality's own position; no statement from the project's operators or developers is included in the source.

Venue: Amphitheatre of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)
Planned date: Early September 2026 (exact date not yet announced)
Topic: Presentation of the NTUA study on the impacts of the Chania–Damasta high-voltage line
Invited: Cretan associations and organisations based in Athens, particularly those with ties to Apokoronas

Official source

Apokoronas takes the fight to the NTUA Amphitheatre – A call to Cretans in Athens for a joint public intervention

May 25, 2026, 7:27 AM

Through a proposal by the Mayor of Apokoronas, Charalampos Koukianakis, to the Municipal Council of Apokoronas, the consent and official support of the Council is sought for the organisation of the presentation of the final deliverable of the research study by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) concerning the Chania–Damasta high-voltage line, at the NTUA Amphitheatre in Athens, in early September 2026.

At the same time, it is proposed that the Municipality of Apokoronas extend an official invitation to the Cretan Associations of Attica, and in particular to the Apokoronas associations and the village associations of Apokoronas, so that they may actively participate in the event and in the public discussion that will take place.

This initiative arose following a relevant request by the Mayor to the professors and Research Team of the NTUA, who accepted the proposal for the official presentation of the study in Athens with a particularly positive disposition, acknowledging the significance of the issue for Crete and Apokoronas.

The aim is to create a strong front of information, institutional presence, and social participation, so as to further strengthen the common voice of local communities in the face of a plan that directly affects the natural environment, history, quality of life, and the development profile of Crete.

The NTUA research study now constitutes an important scientific documentation tool, as it clearly records the possible impacts of the planned routing of the high-voltage line.

The Municipality of Apokoronas continues with seriousness, institutional consistency, and scientific documentation the struggle for the protection of the natural environment, historical identity, and developmental prospects of our area.

The Mayor of Apokoronas

Charalampos Koukianakis