It was expected and it arrived after many vicissitudes: the Government, meeting on Wednesday afternoon in the Council of Ministers, approved the energy package, or rather the so-called Bollette decree which provides for "urgent measures for the reduction in the cost of electricity and gas in favor of families and businesses, for the competitiveness of companies and for the decarbonization of industries", as well as provisions on the virtual saturation of electricity networks and the integration of data processing centers into the electricity system.
In the decree, however, there is also a surprise 2% increase in IRAP for the energy companies, to finance the reduction of system charges on bills. As anticipated, the gas stored during the 2022 energy crisis will be sold to eliminate the price difference (spread) between gas on the European TTF exchange and the Italian PSV exchange.
The measure, therefore, comes while the cost of energy remains a critical variable for the stability of the production system, not to mention families who, with inflation and stagnant wages, are increasingly struggling to cover the costs of their bills. The Government's objective is therefore to contain the impact of bills on families and businesses and, at the same time, strengthen competitiveness in a European context marked by the green transition and the pressure of international competition: "The decree will have a significant impact and will guarantee savings and direct benefits for families and businesses. in the order of over 5 billion euros“, claims Palazzo Chigi.
“We are still intervening on the social bonus – the press release continues – which we have strengthened from time to time over the years and which today reaches two million seven hundred thousand vulnerable familiesThey are guaranteed an additional discount on their electricity bill of 115 euros per year, which is in addition to the 200 euro discount we had already provided, bringing the total support to 315 euros. Furthermore, we have provided recognition in terms of visibility for energy companies that decide to reduce your bill with a voluntary discount of at least 60 euros per year for families with an ISEE of up to 25 thousand euros and who do not access the social bonus".
However, the focus was not only on the price emergency, but also on the structure of the system: intervening on the "virtual saturation" means trying to unblock connections and investments, accelerating the development of renewables. In parallel, the integration of data centers aims to manage growing electricity demand linked to digital and artificial intelligence, transforming a potential stress factor into a lever for grid flexibility. The Government has also developed a mechanism that effectively introduces the decoupling of electricity prices from gas prices, and has launched aid for "companies that consume gas for their production, such as those in the ceramic or glass industries, with the reduction of transport costs and other tariff components".
The government itself provides some concrete examples of the benefits in its official press release: "A craftsman or small restaurateur will see an average reduction of over 500 euros per year on their electricity bill and 200 euros on their gas bill. For larger small and medium-sized businesses, the estimated benefit grows up to approximately 9 thousand euros per year for electricity and 10 thousand euros for gas. Then we come to the larger companies, such as gas-intensive ones, which could see a reduction of over 220 thousand euros per year on gas."
The Council of Ministers also One billion euros allocated for the damage caused by Cyclone Harry in Calabria, Sicily, and Sardinia, and by the landslide in Niscemi. The decree law and civil protection resolutions needed to address the emergency have been approved; the funds include the €100 million already allocated.
