In the 2021 energy sector, constantly evolving, has found itself facing various challenges: the Covid-19 pandemic, the energy and climate transition as well as the increases in the prices of raw materials. The utilities found themselves operating in a context of economic recovery which led to an increase in energy consumption globally and consequently the unstoppable growth of both electricity and gas prices. These are the topics that will be covered during the online workshop Agici-Accenture Utility Observatory, Thursday 20 January from 11 to 13 and entitled "How did the Utilities market fare in 2021? Reflections on a year of transition and prospects for 2024".
While on the one hand, the growth in prices has had a generally positive impact on the accounts of the main energy companies, both Italian and European, on the other they are forcing governments to implement emergency measures and interventions aimed at limiting the impact on households and businesses and which, consequently, could have repercussions on the companies themselves during 2022. In this regard, particular attention will be paid to the presentation of the results for 2021 and the prospects for 2024, in terms of turnover, profitability, investments, debt sustainability financial and stock market performance, by Intesa Sanpaolo e Agici Corporate Finance.
The study "Italian and European utilities fit for 55: investments and economic-financial prospects" carried out by Agici and Intesa Sanpaolo, photographs the sector of utilities in Italy and in Europe in 2021 and tries to understand the possible evolutions by 2024. In particular, the topics under analysis are 4: the development of climate and energy policies at national and Community level; the dynamics of gas, electricity and CO2 prices in Italy and in the main European markets; the economic-financial performance of the main Italian and European utilities, the analysis will focus on 2021 and the prospects to 2024 and, finally, the strategies of the main operators with particular attention to the investments made and planned.
In addition, the tightening of climate mitigation goals and of carbon neutrality of the EU will in all likelihood have significant consequences for the utility sector. In this regard, the new challenges of the value chain for utilities, between energy transition and cross-sectoral competition will be illustrated by Accenture.
At the end of the workshop, a round table will be held in which some of the main market realities will be represented, to make some reflections on the performance of the utility market in 2021 and discuss its prospects to 2024.
