Italy set new records for solar and wind power last year but is still not on track for 2030, experts say

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Italian electricity transmission operator Terna announced yesterday that a record amount of electricity has been produced in Italy from solar and wind energy.

Wind farms generated a record 23.4 terawatt hours (TWh) of energy last year, and solar panels reached 30.6 TWh, surpassing previous totals.

All renewable energy, including hydropower, meets almost 37 percent of the Mediterranean country’s electricity needs, up from 31 percent in 2022.

However, Italy remains off track. energy transition The goal is to have 70% of electricity supplied by renewable energy by 2030.

“These records show that Italy’s renewable energy sector is finally waking up from its slumber,” Chris Roslow, senior energy and climate data analyst at think tank Ember, told Euronews Green.

“However, the reported increase in renewable generation looks better than it actually is due to the economic recovery. hydroelectric power Production resumed in 2022 following the effects of the drought. ”

To reach the 2030 target, wind and solar power generation will need to increase by 17 percent a year, compared to around 13 percent last year, according to Italy’s National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP).

How is Italy’s electricity mix changing?

Terna says installed renewable energy capacity increased by 5.8 gigawatts (GW) in 2023. This is an increase of 2.7 GW over the previous year’s figures for these new green “activations.”

However, Roslow points out that this is still far short of the approximately 9 GW of annual growth needed by 2030.

While there was an upward tick, Renewable energy The operator noted that overall hydropower production particularly increased, returning to previous levels after a drought-stricken performance in 2022.

With the increase in green energy, electricity generation from gas and coal plants decreased by 17.4% and 42%, respectively.

Terna said the decline in Italy’s fossil fuel production was also helped by a 2.8% decline in electricity consumption compared to 2022, which continued to be affected by the energy crisis. This was further eased by importing electricity from abroad.

Terna explained that the significant decline in coal-fired power generation is “a result of efforts to maximize the utilization of coal-fired power plants introduced at the peak of the gas crisis, which will be suspended in 2023.” .

What is driving wind and solar power forward in Italy, and what is holding it back?

The world is in the middle of “.can not stop” IEA Director-General Fatih Birol said last year.

The force is not only due to the Italian wind, Sun We need not just growth, but also surrounding technologies that help renewables thrive.

Terna celebrates the role of interconnection in its 2023 release as “a tool that enables efficiency and security in power systems.”

“Complementing renewable energy growth and power development” storage It is recovering quickly,” Roslow added. “Plans are in place to support the development of new storage capacity to safely manage the increase in renewable energy.”

However, fundamental national and regional problems remain. The IEA says renewable energy installations in Italy are “plagued” by long and complex permitting procedures.