Legal Pathways to Coal Phase-Out in Italy in 2025

Matteo Fermeglia,Claudia Cafaro,Paolo Ceci,Antonio Fardelli,Paolo Bevilacqua

doi:10.3390/en13215605

Abstract

This contribution aims to provide an in-depth outlook of the phase-out of coal-fired energy generation in Italy. In particular, this article analyzes the state-of-the-art with regard to both the current role of coal generation and the performance of the main legal and regulatory tools as implemented in Italy thus far to ensure the closure of all coal power plants by 2025 as announced in the Italian National Climate and Energy Plan. Based on existing data and scenarios on both electricity production and demand trends, this article unfolds the marginal role played by coal-fired generation in the Italian energy mix. In addition, this paper aims to highlight the outstanding technical uncertainties and regulatory hurdles in the way towards de-carbonization of energy generation in Italy. This paper argues that several remarkable improvements are needed in order to avoid over-generation (especially through natural gas), to upscale the penetration of renewable energy sources, and develop the necessary infrastructures to adequately deliver on the full phasing-out of coal within the expected timeframes.

Highlights

The need for an abrupt transition away from fossil fuels in light of the climate crisis and the uprising of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions worldwide has arguably been championed in light of the EU’s need to ensure climate neutrality in 2050 [1]
The advancement of the permitting procedures with regard to the relevant energy infrastructures in the context of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). This information and data have been adequately processed, refined, and assessed against the key scenarios developed in the Italian NECP, with particular focus on the role of natural gas as a transitional energy source towards the full uptake of renewable energy sources (RES) generation
This article has provided a comprehensive account of the phasing out of coal-fired generation in

Summary

Introduction

The need for an abrupt transition away from fossil fuels in light of the climate crisis and the uprising of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions worldwide has arguably been championed in light of the EU’s need to ensure climate neutrality in 2050 [1]. To this end, the phase-out of coal-fired power plants as a conventional energy source is one of the utmost compelling issues arising at different latitudes as the business [2], socio-economic [3], environmental [4], and net-energy [5] cases for such an energy source are rapidly losing ground. Such commitments would lead to a decrease in the use of coal by

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion