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octubre 31, 2024

The Environmental Decree polarizes the market: it accelerates large investments and penalizes medium-sized plants.

Feliciano Palladino, Head of Energy & Environment at NexAmm, points out that the new Environmental Decree will benefit those planning to invest in larger installations, while those focused on medium-sized plants will be penalized. He also notes that this will lead to a "definitive saturation of connection points," which will pose major risks to grid resilience, considering there are over 300 GW with connection requests, according to data from Terna.
By Emilia Lardizabal

By Emilia Lardizabal

octubre 31, 2024
Italia Decreto de Medio Ambiente

The Italian Council of Ministers approved the Environmental Decree two weeks ago, marking a decisive step for the country’s renewable energy sector. The regulation aims to establish shorter timeframes for the issuance of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) permits for renewable energy plants.

Feliciano Palladino, Head of Energy & Environment at NexAmm, analyzed the decree and noted that it directs the market towards large-scale projects, limiting opportunities for medium-sized installations.

“The Environmental Decree will benefit actors planning to invest in larger installations. Conversely, those who have chosen to focus on medium-sized plants will be penalized. There will certainly be a polarization of the market, with particular reference to the photovoltaic, agrivoltaic, and wind power industries,” Palladino said in an interview with Energía Estratégica España.

He added that, in the near future, actors will invest their resources almost exclusively in two types of projects: plants with a capacity below the thresholds set by Legislative Decree No. 152/2006 for mandatory EIA procedures, photovoltaic or agrivoltaic plants with capacities over 50 MW, and wind farms with capacities over 70 MW, which will benefit from an expedited EIA process.

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Among the main innovations of this decree is the shortening of EIA permit times for three key categories: green hydrogen plants and those connected to them, new onshore renewable energy installations, and modifications or reconstructions of existing wind or solar farms.

These provisions “will strongly influence investors’ development decisions,” Palladino emphasized, steering projects toward larger scales and excluding medium-sized developments that face longer approval requirements and timelines.

In this regard, Palladino pointed out that the Environmental Decree imposes significant obstacles for medium-sized photovoltaic and agrivoltaic plants (between 10 and 50 MW) and offshore projects, which do not benefit from an expedited EIA process. “Offshore wind farms, which were not included among the initiatives that will benefit from a fast-track EIA process, will also be heavily penalized,” he warned.

However, he noted that onshore wind farms will suffer the greatest impact, as the regulation requires EIA applications to include a statement certifying the availability of all areas on which the plant will be built.

“While this is not a change for photovoltaic plants, it is a major shift for wind farms, excluding the possibility of obtaining public expropriation of land. Considering the large areas required for wind farms, this new rule will involve a significant economic effort for developers, who will need to negotiate land acquisition with all landowners,” he explained.

Grid Connection

The NexAmm representative stated that the approval of large plants encouraged by the Environmental Decree will lead to the definitive saturation of connection points, posing major risks for grid resilience.

Currently, the Italian national grid is processing over 6,000 connection requests for a total capacity of 343.9 GW, according to data published by Terna on September 30. Of this total, 151.8 GW comes from photovoltaic solar energy, 108 GW from onshore wind, and 84.1 GW from offshore wind energy.

“In this context, the development of BESS storage plants is particularly important, as they are an essential tool for the efficient use of the national electricity grid and its long-term resilience,” he emphasized.

Draft of the FER Decree

The Italian renewable sector is eagerly awaiting developments regarding the draft of the “FER” Testo Unico Decree, which has not yet been approved.

The “Testo Unico” aims to define the administrative procedures for the construction and operation of renewable energy plants and energy storage systems, including modification, upgrading, and renovation of existing plants, as well as related works and essential infrastructure.

The regulation establishes three main administrative procedures: permit exemptions for agrivoltaic, photovoltaic plants, and standalone BESS storage systems under 10 MW, a Simplified Authorization Procedure (PAS) for projects that provide urban compatibility and safety documentation, and a single authorization for all other projects.

“A major innovation introduced by the ‘Testo Unico’ is the digitization of administrative procedures through a single digital platform (SUER). Simplified single forms will be available online, thus reducing the bureaucratic burden on operators,” Palladino concluded.

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