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Italy cut gas consumption by 17% between August 2022 and January 2024, slightly below the EU average of 18% but above the 15% demand reduction target set at EU level. This is what the European Commission estimates in a report dedicated to Italy in which it takes stock of two years of implementation of the RePowerEu energy plan, proposed by Brussels on 18 May 2022 in the midst of the energy crisis fueled by Russia’s war in Ukraine. The document still recalls that “historically” the country was among the most dependent on Russian gas, with around 40% of supplies arriving from Moscow in 2021. In 2022, Italy managed to substantially reduce its dependence to 19% and aims to abandon Russian fossil fuels by 2025.
Rome advances on building efficiency also with Superbonus
“Italy is implementing efficiency measures to further contribute to energy security. Tax deduction schemes for building renovations, energy efficiency and renewables have progressed in 2023. At the end of 2023, the 110% Superbonus for residential properties had carried out 494,406 energy renovations (of which 26.7% were condominium buildings), underlines the EU Commission. The balance sheet on the Superbonus is included in the chapter “key energy saving measures”. Among these, Brussels also cites “Italy’s national system of energy saving obligations”, or “the white certificate scheme” (they are negotiable securities that certify the achievement of savings in the end uses of energy through interventions and projects to increase energy efficiency. Ed.), which recorded “up to 0.46 Mtoe of final energy savings in 2023, increasing the energy saving obligation by 33% compared to 2022”.
Italy leader in the production of solar panels
Italy is one of the “leading clean technology” markets in Europe, hosting an important number of solar and wind energy production plants: as for production capacity, over 22% of photovoltaic panels integrated into buildings come from Italy . This is how the European EU summarizes Italy’s actions in the photovoltaic sector. According to Brussels, Italy is “among the top two largest producers in the EU” in photovoltaic.
The EU to the countries: accelerate on renewables, faster permits
Acceleration areas for renewables, faster process for permits and planning of auctions for incentives. Almost two years after the launch of the ‘REPowerEu’ energy independence plan, the European Commission has adopted a series of recommendations and guidelines to governments – all non-binding – to accelerate the diffusion of green energies, essential for reducing dependence on fossil fuels. In the updated guidance, the Commission highlights the importance of digitalisation for permitting and selecting renewable acceleration areas through planning and mapping. Brussels also focuses on the need to harmonize the rules for the design of renewable auctions, urging governments to adopt criteria other than price in order to allow projects with the highest added value to be rewarded. To improve coordination, Brussels has also updated the auction platform on which EU countries will publish information.
