Kato Pyrgos green community plan faces budget cuts and bureaucracy

Kato Pyrgos, Cyprus. Plans to turn Kato Pyrgos and the wider Tillyria region into a “model green community” have been delayed by bureaucracy and unexplained reductions in funding, mukhtar Nikos Kleanthous said on Tuesday.

The funding available for a project to install solar panels on 100 buildings was reduced from an initial €2.2 million allocation in 2024 to €1.5 million, he told Stockwatch.

Funding reductions

Kleanthous said the finance ministry informed the village in a letter in October last year that the allocation had been reduced to €1.8 million, without explaining the reasons.

After payments to consultants who carried out studies, the available amount fell further to €1.5 million, he said.

Solar energy proposal

Kleanthous said he had initially presented the proposal to install solar panels to then energy minister George Papanastasiou.

The plan was to place panels on homes and public buildings to provide free or low-cost electricity to residents and potential investors.

He said cheaper electricity was intended to attract investment in agriculture, livestock and tourism, while encouraging former residents to return and helping revitalise the Tillyria region.

Model green community pledge

When President Nikos Christodoulides visited Kato Pyrgos in December 2024, he pledged to make the village the island’s first “model green community”, Kleanthous said.

The pledge formed part of wider projects and plans to revitalise the area, with a total value of more than €20 million.

Energy company plan

The village council subsequently created an energy office, which carried out a study concluding that a company should be established with the other village councils in the Tillyria cluster authority.

The proposed company would manage electricity generated by the solar panels and supply it to residents and businesses.

Kleanthous said the project remained at an initial stage because of bureaucracy, while residents were anxious and had raised complaints.

The village will hold an assembly next month for people interested in the solar panel project, where they will be able to submit written applications to participate in the company managing locally produced solar energy.