A full six years after the introduction of Italy’s latest incentive system for solar energy (the 5thConto Energia), solar PV in Italy will once again receive incentives alongside other renewable sources including onshore wind, hydroelectric and biogas.
The new ministerial decree, known as the FER1 decree, offers incentives through September 2021 and sets aside 5.8 billion euros of new funds. The government said it expected that the FER1 decree will help finance the construction of new plants with a total capacity of 8,000 MW, boosting renewable energy production by 12 billion kWh and stimulating estimated investments of €10 billion.
The return of incentives for renewable energy sources comes on top of the recent Small Islands Decree, which specifically targets the production of renewables on small Islands not connected to the national grid (Ministerial Decree of 17 February). That creates a double opportunity for anyone working to promote sustainable energy on Italian islands.
The GSE (Gestore dei Servizi Energetici) in August defined the operating procedures for the recognition of the remuneration provided for the “Small Islands Decree” and Authority Resolution 5582018REFR. This means that the decree is finally operational.
The measure identifies instructions for the progressive coverage of the needs of the small islands not interconnected through energy from renewable sources and, in particular, establishes the quantitative target of the energy needs of the islands to be covered by renewable sources, the time target for the process of development of production from renewable sources and how to support the investments necessary to achieve the objectives.
