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{{CoalSwarm}} While Greece produces no hard coal it is the second largest European producer of lignite after Germany, with approximately 80 million tonnes mined in 2004. The largest domestic coal producer is the government-owned [[Public Power Corporation]] (PPC), which controls approximately 63% of the known coal reserves.<refname="EIA Coal">Energy Information Administration, [http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Greece/Coal.html "Greece: Coal"], Energy Information Administration, undated, accessed July 2008.</ref> In addition, hard coal is imported from South Africa, Russia, Venezuela, and Colombia.<ref name="U.S. Geological Survey 2005">Harold R. Newman, [http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2005/grmyb05.pdf "The Mineral Industry of Greece"], 2005 Minerals Yearbook, U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey, December 2007.</ref>

Approximately 75 percent of the country's electricity is sourced from thermal power stations, predominantly coal. According to the U.S. Geological Survey lignite accounted for approximately 65% of the fuel for the country’s powergeneration.<ref name="U.S. Geological Survey 2005"/> Despite was the electricity generation capacity having grown by 50% in the last decade and projections being for a n addition 6,000 megawatts being required by 2015, the bulk is expected to come from gas-fired plants.<ref name="EIA Electricity">Energy Information Administration, [http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Greece/Electricity.html Greece: Electricity"], Energy Information Administration website, approx 2006, accessed July 2008.</ref>

Since 2001, the monopoly of PPC on power generation has been reduced and the market opened up to private power generators. The Energy Information Service notes that "since PPC lost its legal monopoly, the Greek government has issued licenses for over 2,750 MW of private thermal generating plants. However, most private producers have been unable to finance plants. As a result, PPC still produced 96 percent of Greece’s electricity in 2004. Apart from refurbishments, the Greek government has legally prevented PPC from bidding for tenders to build the first round of new capacity, totaling 900MW, until 2010."<ref>Energy Information Administration, [http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Greece/Electricity.html Greece: name="EIA Electricity"], Energy Information Administration website, approx 2006, accessed July 2008.</ref>