ATHEX-listed Public Power Corp. (PPC) this week announced plan to issue shares of newly constructed solar parks to residents in the western Macedonia region and the Megalopoli district in the central Peloponnese, which now host lignite-fired power plants.

The western Macedonia region, moreover, is where most of Greece’s lignite mines are located, mostly open pits operated and exploited by state-run PPC to fire its power plants. The Megalopoli municipality hosts the biggest power plant in southern Greece.

PPC said the plan is to include local residents of lignite-dominated areas as “co-investors” in new “green energy” projects.

The Mitsotakis government has already announced a coming “de-lignitification” of the country’s energy mix, with PPC announcing the construction and operation of solar parks (photovoltaic) of a total capacity of 2.5GW in lignite-dominated areas.