Where do photovoltaic projects stop in Italy?
In 2021, 15,790 applications for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) were presented. Only 320 projects out of these, received a positive feedback including those not subject to EIA. On the other hand, 262 projects were rejcted and only 112 received a green light.
There are therefore 14,595 projects awaiting the Environmental Impact Assessment!
The average waiting time for a response is 5.4 years.
The logical consequence is that foreign (and non-foreign) investors remain bewildered by the slowness of authorizations for the construction of renewable energy projects in Italy.
The most virtuous regions to examine the projects are Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna, Liguria, Sicily and Veneto, while the slowest are Umbria, Basilicata and Le Marche.
It took the huge increases in gas prices recorded since last autumn and then the war in Ukraine, which forces the whole EU to try to reduce energy dependence on Moscow, for the Draghi Government to start pushing the accelerator on green energy sources.
On Thursday 10th March the Council of Ministers authorized the construction of six wind farms in Puglia, Basilicata and Sardinia for a total of 418 megawatts.
Half of the average renewable power installed each year in Italy in the last seven years.
Seven other farms, for almost 350 mw in total, had received green light at the beginning of December, followed by a few dozen photovoltaic systems.
Achieving the goal continues to seem very complicated, despite the administrative simplifications approved last year and the recent “Bill decree” which streamlines the bureaucratic procedures for solar panels on the house roofs and for systems up to 200 kW. Meanwhile, the Government continues on the path of increasing domestic gas extraction and increasing purchases from other suppliers.
