Italy less dependent on imported energy as renewable power surges: report

ROME, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) — Italy has reduced its reliance on imported energy while its domestic energy production from renewable sources surged to record level, the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security said Tuesday.
According to the ministry’s annual report, Italy imported 74.6 percent of its energy from foreign countries in 2023 year, down from 79.2 percent in 2022. Domestic energy production, meanwhile, grew by 4.2 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Notably thermoelectric power, which included both imported and domestically produced energy fell by 19.3 percent between 2022 and 2023, though it continued to provide more than half of the country’s overall energy consumption.
Renewable energy production, particularly from hydroelectric, wind, and solar sources, reached record levels in 2023. Hydroelectric power surged by 38.7 percent to 42 terawatt hours (TWh), recovering from a decline in 2022. Wind power produced 23.3 TWh, while solar power generated 30.7 TWh, marking an 11.1 percent overall growth.
The ministry said Italy’s overall energy situation was stable after a disruption in 2022 when natural gas imports from Russia were cut off in the wake of the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. ■