Stretching from the mountainous Alps in the north to the Mediterranean Sea in the south, Italy's diverse natural landscape has allowed for a range of renewable energy sources development. The
comes from hydro facilities in the mountainous north and solar plants located in sunny regions throughout the country. Recognized as a leader in renewable energy, Italy is one of the top-ranking countries in terms of installed
. The country’s energy sector has transformed over the past decade as the
has nearly doubled. This trend will continue, as the southern European nation has made renewable energy a policy priority.
Italy’s solar boom
The country’s gross electricity generation from renewables surged after 2005, more than doubling in a few years. This trend corresponds to a boom in solar photovoltaic installations throughout the country, encouraged by the Italian government’s Conto Energia feed-in tariff policy. This policy aims to promote the development of renewable energy sources by guaranteeing producers a competitive market price. By 2022,
gross electricity production from photovoltaic sources in Italy amounted to more than 28 terawatt-hours.
Investment in photovoltaics continues, peaking at 2.8 billion euros in 2022.
By comparison,
Italy’s hydropower production fell in 2022, a consequence of the drought that hit Europe that year.
Italy's sustainable energy transition plan
As an energy transition is underway in Europe and across the globe, Italy has been taking bold steps to increase its utilization of renewable energy sources. While Italy is already one of the leading countries in Europe in terms of
renewable energy consumption, the country’s Integrated National Plan for Energy and Climate (PNIEC) has set a goal of sourcing 49 percent of the country’s total
electricity consumption from renewables by 2030, up from
a share of 36 percent in 2021. Currently, about 19 percent of the country’s
energy consumption is fueled by renewables, and, according to the PNIEC, this figure should reach 27 percent in 2030. In addition to increasing the share of renewable energy consumption, PNIEC also calls for a phase-out of coal in the country’s energy mix to reduce emissions and increase overall energy efficiency.
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