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Wind, solar energy output hit record high in Italy in 2023
Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on January 22, 2024
2 min readLast updated: January 31, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
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Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on January 22, 2024
2 min readLast updated: January 31, 2026
By Francesca Landini
MILAN (Reuters) -Wind and solar energy production hit a record last year in Italy, as the country more than doubled its newly-installed green source capacity, power grid operator Terna said on Monday.
Solar panel generation rose to 30.6 Terawatt hours (TWh) while wind farms produced 23.4 TWh, Terna said.
It added that all renewable sources, including hydroelectric plants, covered nearly 37% of electricity demand, up from 31% in 2022, showing that 2030 energy transition targets for the country could be feasible.
Italy aims to generate nearly two thirds of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030, the energy ministry said last June in its draft Plan for Energy and Climate (PNIEC).
However, the development of solar and wind farms in Italy faces multiple challenges including a lengthy process to win permits and in some cases resistance from local administrations and the public who fear damage to both the landscape and agriculture.
On Monday Terna also said that newly-installed renewable capacity rose by 5.8 gigawatt (GW), signalling a big jump compared with 2022 when new additions in green capacity were equal to 2.7 GW.
Power production from gas-fired and coal-fired stations fell respectively 17.4% and 42% last year compensated by the rise in both green production and electricity imports from abroad.
In 2023 total power consumption in the country fell 2.8% year-on-year, to 306.1 TWh, Terna added.
(Reporting by Francesca Landini, editing by Alvise Armellini and Keith Weir)
Renewable energy is energy derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. It is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP). It is a key component of renewable energy.
Wind energy is the process of converting wind into electricity using wind turbines. It is a clean and renewable source of energy that contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
A terawatt hour (TWh) is a unit of energy equivalent to one trillion watt-hours. It is commonly used to measure large-scale energy production and consumption.
Energy transition refers to the global energy sector's shift from fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption to renewable energy sources. It aims to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.
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