For all countries, the energy question is a fundamental issue: it determines the well-being of the community, the ability of companies to compete and, in the extreme, it can also affect democratic balances, as demonstrated by the history of our terrorism. Ldevelopment of a national energy strategy it is therefore an element that every country deals with with great attention, taking into account a plurality of factors on which the expected needs in the future and the resources available within the country stand out.
These concepts are therefore declined in different ways depending on the situation: in particular, in growing countries (think of the BRICS and many other Asian, African, South American but also European nations) increasing electricity generation capacity is a precondition for development; in other cases, like in Old Europe or the United States, in which there are situations of overcapacity, the relevant theme is the rationalization of the existing.
L'Italy is exactly in the latter situation. The installed capacity is about double the peak demand: 120.000 MW against a peak consumption (ie the maximum over the course of a year) of around 54.000. Someone says, rightly so, that if we stopped investing in capacity today for the next 10 years, no one would notice. So, if we have electricity in abundance, what is the use of a country strategy? The answer is simple: in Italy there are a series of problems, partly historical and partly new, the result above all of non-choices and not resolved by liberalisation. THE main nodes I'm:
- Excessive cost of electricity which is reflected in a reduction in the competitiveness of goods and services;
- Strong dependence on foreign countries which has a significant impact on the balance of payments and which has repercussions on the balance of international political relations;
- Environmental impact, which however has significantly decreased in recent years thanks to technological progress in coal and gas production;
– Ability to use a treasure trove of resources (gas and oil) which are available in various parts of the country and which could be exploited in this phase of economic difficulty to a greater extent;
- Optimize the relationship between the development of the energy sector and the strengthening of a national industrial chain, for example in the renewable energy sector, but not only.
The consultation document of the Italian Government on the National Energy Strategies (SEN) fits into this framework, which establishes the following goals:
1) Reduce significantly the energy cost gap compared to Europe
2) Continue to improve our security of supply and supply
3) Encourage sustainable growth through the development of a strong energy sector also capable of seizing opportunities for international growth
4) Reach and exceed goals environment of the package 20-20-20.
In this picture the priority I'm:
1) Promotion ofefficiency energy
2) Development of theGas hub southern European
3) Sustainable development of renewable energy
4) Relaunch of the national production of hydrocarbons
5) Development of infrastructure and the electricity market
6) Restructuring of the sector of refining and the fuel distribution network
7) Modernization of the system governance.
There is no doubt that the objectives indicated are totally shared, too if the order of priority does not seem completely agreeable. The reduction in energy costs, which can also be achieved thanks to the reduction in gas and oil imports, is certainly fundamental.
Of course, energy efficiency is also the best way to reduce costs, although our country certainly does not rank among the most "wasteful" nations. In fact, there is still a lot to do and there are many fronts where we can be more efficient: electricity production and transport, public and private buildings, industrial production and small and medium-sized enterprises. Refined technological innovation is added here to actions of awareness and support for a vast public.
Ma the reduction of costs also passes through a careful selection of the infrastructures to be paid for by the community (essential facilities). In recent years we have invested a lot, certainly too much, with negative benefits beyond a certain limit. Support for renewables has been out of control. Not to mention a whole series of improper charges that weigh on the bill (including the now decades-long nuclear decommissioning, the costs of which should be investigated by parliament). I think today each investment should lead to a reduction in the bill within a short period of time. Dubbi instead leaves the idea, far from new, of making Italy the European gas hub; it does not appear to be a priority for the next 5/10 years. First of all, it is not clear today whether the expected need for gas imports will develop in Europe in the next 15-20 years (between 100 and 150 billion cubic metres). Secondly, the plans to build/extend new pipelines/regasifiers in Europe will naturally increase import capacity not only from Russia. I omit other considerations for the sake of brevity; here too the risk of building onerous infrastructures for the community that bring little or no benefits to the country must be avoided.
for renewable, having closed the phase of the cuccagna, in which the overflowing support allowed both excessive surplus profits and largely inefficient productions, a new chapter is now opening. The reduced and selective supports recently adopted by the Government are in the right direction. The real question is whether renewables will develop even without incentives. I think so, certainly not in the tumultuous (but out of control) way of 2010-2011. For example, the costs of photovoltaic panels have dropped to 500 euros per kwh at the origin (and 800 euros at retail prices) making the systems already convenient in many cases even without incentives; in Spain the construction of 400 MW of unsupported plants has started. There will be other factors that will push the development such as for example the widespread presence of operators in the area.
for thermal renewables paradoxically the opposite is true: they have spread without much need for incentives and now the Government instead wants to intervene both through the Conto Termico (similar to the Conto Energia of the photovoltaic system) and with support for investments in the most efficient technologies. The planned expenditure will be limited to a maximum of 900 million euros per year. Both for electric and thermal renewables a strong public awareness operation would be desirable and the introduction of binding restrictions on employment for certain categories of subjects and above all the public administrations.
The last aspect to underline concerns the hoard of oil and gas available to Italy. The Government wants a more intensive use of these resources, which have been underexploited due to authorization difficulties, social opposition and the lower cost of international sources. These are not extraordinary quantities (just think that they would only last for 5 years if they were used at current levels of consumption); However, their balanced exploitation would boost the national economy by reducing imports and dependence on foreign countries, as well as creating numerous jobs and possibilities for the development of technologies. The environmental implications certainly need to be carefully evaluated.
Finally, there is the issue that no one talks about but which is often the real determinant of energy "strategies": energy - through taxes, excise duties, concessions and so on, but also through dividends and taxes paid by Eni, Enel, Terna and Snam – is an important source of income for the state coffers. Certainly the reduction in energy prices, so important for well-being and above all for competitiveness, clashes with the objectives of rebalancing the public finances. This is the real hidden issue, but one that certainly needs to be tackled with courage and determination and that perhaps should be better explained to the country; this is also because a recovery of competitiveness can help restart that virtuous circle which takes us out of the depths of the recession and which can allow, through the recovery of development, to better face the public debt.
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