Green electricity in Italy
Italy plans to generate 55 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. As part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), an investment program presented by Italy to the European Commission and approved in the summer of 2021, Italy received over 60 billion euros to work towards transitioning to a greener economy by 2026. The renewable energy sector is one of the key points of the plan. Italy’s strategy for the green transition includes the construction of offshore renewable energy plants, research for hydrogen production and consumption within the industry sector, the electrification of its transportation network, and improving biomethane production from agricultural, organic, and food waste.As of 2022, the gross electricity production from renewable sources in Italy declined to 100 terawatt-hours, down from over 115 terawatt-hours. A reduction in gross energy production from hydroelectric sources due to a drought that hit Europe in 2022 was responsible for this decline.
Electricity consumption trends in Italy
The total electricity consumption in Italy amounted to just below 300 terawatt-hours in 2022. Although this value has fluctuated between 285 and 320 terawatt-hours over the last 15 years, it showed a decreasing trend in 2022.Over the past few years, electricity consumption has increased in the industrial sector, which accounted for almost 45 percent of the electricity consumption in Italy when broken down by sector. The steelworks, cement, chemical, and mechanical sectors were the most energy-consuming industries in Italy.
In 2022, Italy had one of the lowest per capita electricity consumption in Europe, while monthly wholesale electricity prices in the country were the highest in the region.
