As of 2023, Italy's electricity consumption portfolio comprised of slightly more than 40% fossil energy, close to a third from gas, and approximately 35.52% from low-carbon sources. The share of low-carbon energy was split between hydropower, which accounted for nearly 15%, solar and wind with roughly 8.5% and 8.2% respectively, biofuels with just over 2%, and geothermal with almost 2%. Nearly one-fifth of the country's electricity requirement was met by net imports. In total, coal usage amounted to just over 6% of the country's electricity consumption.
To increase their low-carbon electricity generation, Italy could draw insights from countries like France, Slovakia, and Ukraine, where the extensive use of nuclear power contributes to 66%, 61%, and 58% of their respective electricity generation. The increased use of nuclear energy could substantially drive down Italy's dependence on fossil fuels and augment its low-carbon energy portfolio. Similarly, the emphasis on wind energy in countries including Denmark, Ireland, and Germany, contributing to 59%, 35%, and 30% of their respective electricity generation, could also offer valuable strategies. Additionally, the success of solar energy in Greece, accounting for almost 20% of its electricity, could serve as a reference in bolstering Italy's solar power generation.
The history of low-carbon energy in Italy has been dominated by fluctuations in hydropower generation. In the late 1970s, there was a notable increase in hydropower, only to witness a decline in the following year. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw a similar pattern, with a significant drop in nuclear power in 1987 followed by unpredictable shifts in hydropower generation. The introduction of solar energy in 2011 marked a new phase in Italy's low-carbon energy journey, contributing nearly 9 TWh of electricity in its inaugural year. However, the ensuing years have been characterised by alternating periods of gain and loss in hydropower and biofuels.