Italy: €23 bn support for renewable energy
The European Commission yesterday approved the Italian state‑support program of €23 bn for the development of renewable energy — wind farms, solar power plants, hydroelectric plants and biogas from wastewater.
The program is set to add over 37 GW of new capacity, i.e., almost half of Italy’s current installed renewable energy capacity.
The support will operate through bilateral contracts for difference (CfD) for 20 years. If the market electricity price falls below the agreed “strike price”, the state will pay the difference; if it rises above it, producers will return it. Projects over 1 MW compete in transparent auctions, while smaller installations receive a regulated price.
The approval took place under the new Clean Industrial Deal (CISAF) framework, which the EU adopted last May precisely so that member states could more quickly support clean energy and industrial decarbonisation.
Renewables covered about 41 % of Italy’s electricity consumption in 2024 — that sounds decent, but in total energy consumption (including heat and transport) the share is much lower. Italy’s target is 39.4 % of gross final consumption from renewables by 2030; the EU average is currently 25 % with a target of 42.5 %.
Italy also has the highest energy import dependence among the major EU countries (75 %) and the most expensive electricity — in the early months of 2025 over €136/MWh, compared with €113 in Germany and €81 in Spain. That’s why this scheme is so important.
Source: ESG Today, 9 June 2026 | Eurostat, EEA, Ember, Clean Energy Wire
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