Bad weather and lower than expected temperatures in May caused a 3% drop in electricity demand in Italy, but also recorded a real boom in the production of electricity from wind power (+81,3%) . This is what emerges from the usual monthly bulletin published by Terna, the company that manages the national electricity grid, according to which electricity consumption amounted to 25,2 billion kWh, down by 3% compared to the same month in 2018. This result was obtained on the same working days (22), but with a average monthly temperature lower by about 3,6°C compared to May 2018. The seasonally adjusted figure, adjusted for calendar and temperature effects, leads to a negative change in electricity demand in May of -1,8%.
Demand in the first five months of 2019 was also down, by 1,3% compared to the corresponding period of 2018. In adjusted terms, the change becomes -1%. And at the territorial level, the trend variation in May 2019 was negative everywhere: -4% in the North, -1,9% in the Center and -1,4% in the South. In economic terms, the seasonally adjusted value adjusted for calendar effects he temperature of the electricity required in May 2019 recorded a negative change (-0,6%) compared to the previous month (April 2019). The trend profile remains on a downward trend.
In May 2019 the demand for electricity was also 87,6% satisfied with national production and for the remainder (12,4%) from the balance of energy exchanged with foreign countries. In detail, net national production (22,3 billion kWh) decreased compared to May 2018 (-2,7%). The strong growth of the wind energy source of production continues (+81,3%). Production from thermal sources (+5,4%) and from geothermal sources (+0,8%) also increased. On the other hand, hydroelectric production (-29%) and photovoltaic production (-5,4%) decreased.
