In December 2017, according to data from Terna, the company that manages the national electricity grid, electricity demand in Italy was 26,9 billion kWh, an increase of 1,7% compared to the volumes of the same month of the previous year. The performance of demand was affected by the calendar and temperature effect: this year, in fact, December had 2 fewer working days (18 vs 20) but a temperature almost one degree centigrade lower than the reference average.
According to the first provisional data processed by Terna, the total electricity demand in Italy in 2017 amounted to 320,4 billion kWh (up by 2% compared to 2016; with the same calendar the increase is 2,3 %) which represents the highest value since 2013.
At a territorial level, the trend change in December 2017 was positive and substantially everywhere in line with the national average in all areas of the country: +1,7% in the North, +1,5% in the Center and +1,8% in the South. In economic terms, the seasonally adjusted value of electricity demand in December 2017 recorded a slightly positive change compared to the previous month ( +0,5%). The trend profile remains on a stationary trend.
In December 2017 the demand for electricity was 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 (23,9 billion kWh) decreased by 6,1% compared to December 2016. Sources of geothermal production (+0,2%), photovoltaic (+1%) are increasing and wind (+50,4%); water (-15,6%) and thermal (-9,5%) production sources are down.
The maximum power requested in December 2017 was 54.045 MW, recorded on Tuesday 19 at 18, and is 1,5% higher than the value recorded at the peak of the corresponding month of December 2016.
The detailed analysis of the provisional monthly electricity demand for 2017 and final for 2016 is available in the publication of the "Monthly Report on the Electricity System"on the terna.it website.
