Italy's power grid operator, Terna, reported a historic milestone in the country's energy transition. During the first six months of 2024, renewable sources generated more electricity than fossil fuels for the first time ever.
The surge in renewable energy production, reaching 67.3 terawatt hours (TWh), was driven by a significant increase in hydroelectric power, which jumped 65% year-on-year to almost 26 TWh, a record high for Italy. This surge was primarily attributed to abundant rainfall in northern Italy.
In contrast, electricity production from fossil fuels declined by 19% year-on-year, falling to just over 58 TWh. This shift in energy sources is expected to benefit Italy's major utilities, including Enel and A2A, as they continue to invest in renewable energy infrastructure.
The data also revealed a 1.1% increase in overall electricity demand in the first half of the year, with a more pronounced 1.5% rise in June. Despite the growing demand, Italy's renewable energy operating capacity expanded by 3.7 gigawatts in the first half, exceeding the 1.1 GW growth observed in the same period in 2023.
This achievement marks a significant step towards Italy's ambitious energy and climate plan (PNIEC), which aims to increase the share of electricity produced by renewables to 63% by the end of the decade.
