Italy's total electricity consumption was 302.75 terawatt-hour (TWh) in 2020, of which 270.55 TWh (89.3%) was produced domestically and the remaining 10.7% was imported.

Italy has a high share of electricity in the total final energy consumption. The share of primary energy dedicated to electricity production is above 35%,data from Terna – Italian electric grid and has grown steadily since the 1970s.

In 2025, renewable source covered about 41% of Italy's electricity demand, compared with 42% in 2024. Solar power generation reached a record 44.3 TWh in 2025, while wind, hydroelectricity and geothermal power remaind important sources of electricity.

Italy abandoned nuclear power following the 1987 referendum in the wake of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, and nuclear power in Italy has never been greater than a few percent of total power generation.

Overview

In 2018, gross electricity production in Italy reached 289.7 TWh, down 2.1% compared to 2017; thermal power stations ensured 66.5% of production and renewable energies 33.5%: hydraulic 17.4%, solar 7.8%, wind 6.1% and geothermal 2.1% (note: this statistic includes biomass and waste in the thermal). Net production was 279.8 TWh, including 2.3 TWh for pumping.

+ Evolution of electricity production in Italy Gross production (TWh) 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2017 2018 2019 2020 % 2020 var.2020/1990 Fossil thermal 8.0 70.2 133.3 178.2 217.8 218.9 187.0 170.5 173.1 160.5 57.0 % -10% of which coal nd nd nd 35.8 30.5 44.4 35.1 31.0 21.3 13.1 4.6 % -63 % of which oil nd nd nd 102.7 85.9 21.7 11.5 11.0 10.2 9.8 3.5 % -90 % of which natural gas nd nd nd 39.7 101.4 152.7 140.3 128.5 141.7 137.6 48.9 % +247 % Nuclear thermal 3.2 2.2 Hydraulic 46.1 41.3 47.5 35.1 50.9 54.4 38.0 50.5 48.2 48.6 17.3 % +38% minus pumping nd -1.4 -3.3 -4.8 -9.1 -4.5 nd nd nd nd nd Geothermal 2.1 2.7 2.7 3.2 4.7 5.4 6.2 6.1 6.1 6.0 2.1 % +87% Biomasse 0.014 1.0 7.4 17.0 16.8 17.2 17.3 6.2 % x1238 Renewed waste 0.04 0.4 2.0 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 0.8 % +6,343 % Wind 0.002 0.56 9.1 17.7 17.7 20.2 18.7 6.6 % ns Photovoltaic 0.004 0.02 1.9 24.4 22.7 23.7 24.9 8.9 % ns Total renewable energies 48.2 42.6 46.9 38.4 48.5 80.3 105.7 116.2 117.7 117.9 41.9 % +207% Waste not renewed 0.05 0.5 2.2 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.5 0.9 % +4,619 % Other Sources 0 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.2 % ns Gross productionNet of pumping. 56.2 116.1 182.5 216.6 276.6 297.6 295.8 289.7 293.9 281.5 100 % +30% Own consumption 1.4 5.0 9.0 20.5 28.8 21.8 22.0 22.5 22.2 21.3 7.6 % -1% Net production 54.9 111.1 173.5 196.1 247.8 275.8 272.9 267.2 271.6 260.2 92.4 % +33%Sources: Terna for the 1960s to 1980s; International Energy Agency for 1990–2020.

The Great Recession at the end of 2008 reduced demand for electricity by 5.7% in 2009. The strong growth of renewable energies (+47% since 2010) has made it possible to reduce fossil fuel-based production by 27% between 2010 and 2020; the drop in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 is however partly responsible for this decline in fossil fuels.

+ Evolution of installed power Grosspower (MW) 1960 1980 2000 2010 2015 2017 2018 Var. 20182000 Capacity factor2018 (%)* Classic thermal +13.4 % 34.4% Nuclear thermal Hydraulic +10.9 % 25.2% Geothermal 287 440 627 772 821 813 813 +30 % 85.7% Wind + Photovoltaic 370 +8109 % 15.4% Total power +51 % 28.1 %* 2018 capacity factor: the calculation takes into account the staggering of commissioning.

Generating capacity in 2019 and production in 2020 was:

+ Electricity GenerationPower SourceGenerating Capacity (MW) (2019)Production (TWh) (2020)Hydroelectric22,541.146.2Thermal61,348.9171,1Wind10,679.518.5Solar PV20,865.325.5Total116,434.8283.1 In 2008 Italy consumed electricity in 6,054 kWh per capita, while the EU15 average was slightly higher 7,409 kWh per capita. In 2009 consumption was divided by power source: 13.5% import, 65.8% fossil electricity and 20.7% renewable electricity.Energy in Sweden, Facts and figures, The Swedish Energy Agency, (in Swedish: Energiläget i siffror), Table: Specific electricity production per inhabitant with breakdown by power source (kWh/person), Source: IEA/OECD 2006 T23 , 2007 T25 , 2008 T26 , 2009 T25 and 2010 T49 .

+ Electricity per capita in Italy (kWh/ hab.) Use Production Import Imp. % Fossil Nuclear Other RE Biomass Wind Non-RE use** RE %*** 2004 6,003 5,219 784 13.1% 3,919 0 1,001 299 4,703 21.7% 2005 6,029 5,189 841 13.9% 4,200 0 884 105 5,040 16.4% 2006 6,132 5,349 783 12.8% 4,377 0 849 123 5,160 15.8% 2008 6,054 5,384 671 11.1% 4,271 0 992 120 4,942 18.4% 2009 5,527 4,783 744 13.5% 3,636 0 912* 132 102* 4,381 20.7% * Other RE includes waterpower, solar and geothermal electricity and wind power production until 2008** Non RE use = use – production of renewable electricity *** RE % = (production of RE / use) * 100% The European Union calculates the share of renewable energy sources in gross electrical consumption.

Power sources For a detailed picture of the sources of electric power in Italy (including decommission nuclear plants and renewable energy projects), see the list of power stations in Italy.

Fossil fuels

Fossil fuel thermal power plants provide the majority of electricity production in Italy, with a total of 192.1 TWh in 2018, or 66.3% of the electricity produced in the country. During the decade 1997–2007, natural gas power plants experienced strong growth, rising from 24 to 55% of total electricity production; since 2009 they have fallen sharply, falling to 33.5% in 2014, but still representing 53.4% of thermal generation; from 2015 to 2017, they resumed their progression: +35% in two years, rising to 48.4% of total electricity production and 67.2% of thermal production in 2017 (66.9% in 2018); the rest of this production is provided by coal (14.8%; down 42% from its peak in 2012 after experiencing a 24% rebound in 2011–12, as in the whole of Europe due to the drop in coal prices caused by the shale gas boom in the United States), gases derived from processes (1.3%), petroleum products (1.7%), other fuels (mainly biomass, as well as tar, refinery gas, recovered heat, etc.) representing 15.3%.

Combined cycle (gas) units numbered 174 and totaled a power of 40,242 MW (including 58 purely electric units: 22,300 MW and 116 cogeneration units: 17,942 MW), and gas turbines 130 units ( 3,073MW); steam (coal) condensing units were 104 (12,637 MW).

The fuels consumed for the production of electricity in 2018 were:

10,633 kt of coal and lignite; 23,592 million m3 of natural gas and 4,772 Mm3 of derived gas; 585 kt of petroleum products; 16,718 kt of other solid fuels (biomass, etc.) and 3,496 Mm3 of other gaseous fuels (biogas, etc.). Enel launched a call for projects for 23 old power plants being closed, representing 13,000 MW, out of a total of 54 power plants; the Tor del Sale combined cycle power plant in Piombino, near Livorno in Tuscany, will serve as a pilot site.

In 2017, Enel plans to achieve its goal of zero CO2 emissions, initially set for 2050, 10 years in advance. Enel Green Power installed 2,500 MW of renewable energy plants in 2017. Enel had already closed 13,000 MW of old fossil thermal power plants in 2015.

Hydroelectricity

Italy is the world's 16th largest producer of hydroelectric power, with a total of 44,257 GWh produced in 2016.Compare List of countries by electricity production from renewable sources Energy from hydro accounted for about 18% of the national production in 2010, with hydroelectric plants located mainly in the Alps and the Apennines. In 1883, the engineer Lorenzo Vanossi designed and installed in Chiavenna the first electric generator in Italy powered by hydraulic power. From the beginning of the 20th century to the 1950s, hydroelectric power accounted for the majority of generated power, but as energy needs increased approaching the 21st century that percentage dropped significantly.

+ Evolution of hydroelectric production in Italy Production (TWh) 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 2016 2017 2018 Hydraulic 46.1 41.3 47.5 35.1 50.9 54.4 47.0 44.3 38.0 50.5 minus pumping nd -1.4 -3.3 -4.8 -9.1 -4.5 -1.9 -2.5 -2.5 -2.3 = hydraulic net 46.1 39.9 44.2 30.3 41.8 49.9 45.1 41.8 35.5 48.2 Total gross electricity productionNet of pumping 56.2 116.1 182.5 211.8 267.5 297.6 283.0 289.8 295.8 289.7 % hydraulic net 82% 34.4% 24.2% 14.3% 15.6% 16.8% 15.9% 14.4% 12.0% 16.6%

Production by type of development evolved as follows:

+ Hydroelectric production by type of development Production (GWh) 2003 2010 2014 2015 2016 2017 2017/2003 % production 2017 % power 2017 run-of-river power plants +22% 49% 29.8% sluice plants -18% 27.8% 27% lake plants -14% 23.5% 43.2% Total -1.3% 100% 100%

The number and power of plants by size is:

+ Number and capacity of power plants by size in 2017 Size Number % Power (MW) % power ≤ 1 MW 72% 841 4.5% power from 1 to 10 MW 886 21% 14% power > 10 MW 308 7% 81.5% Total 100% 100%

Geothermal

Italy was the first country in the world to exploit geothermal energy to produce electricity. The high geothermal gradient that forms part of the peninsula makes it potentially exploitable also in other regions; research carried out in the 1960s and 1970s identified potential geothermal fields in Lazio and Tuscany, as well as in most volcanic islands. Prince Piero Ginori Conti tested the first geothermal power generator on 4 July 1904 in Larderello, in the province of Pisa. It successfully lit four light bulbs.Tiwari, G. N.; Ghosal, M. K. Renewable Energy Resources: Basic Principles and Applications. Alpha Science Int'l Ltd., 2005 In 2019, Italy held 6th place in the world for geothermal electricity production with 6.07 TWh, or 6.7% of global geothermal production.

Italy has, in 2017, 34 geothermal power plants, all located in Tuscany, with a total installed capacity of 813 MW, of which 407 MW in the province of Pisa, 204 MW in the province of Siena and 202 MW in the province of Grosseto; 27 plants have less than 20 MW and 4 more than 40 MW; from 2003 to 2017, the number of power plants has changed only slightly (34 in 2003, 31 from 2004 to 2008, 32 in 2009, 33 from 2010 to 2012, 34 since 2013), their power has increased by 707 MW at 813 MW (+15%) with a peak at 821 MW in 2014–2015, and their production from 5,341 GWh to 6,201 GWh (+16%) (6,289 GWh in 2016); the availability of the geothermal source is constant, so that the capacity factor is high (record duration of use of 7,626 hours in 2017, or 87.1%; 7,720 MW hours in 2016, or 88.1%).

Wind power

Italy produced 18,702 GWh of wind electricity in 2020 (down 7.4%), i.e. 6.6% of the country's electricity production, and globally, it ranks 14th in 2020 with 1.2% of the world total. In 2018, Italy was the 5th largest producer of wind electricity in Europe. In 2017, wind power provided 17% of renewable electricity, 6.0% of the country's electricity production and 5.3% of its electricity consumption.

+ Wind power generation in Italy Year Production (GWh) Increase Share elec. prod. 2000 563 0.2% 2005 0.8% 2006 +27% 0.9% 2007 +36% 1.3% 2008 +21% 1.5% 2009 +35% 2.2% 2010 +39% 3.0% 2011 +8% 3.3% 2012 +36% 4.5% 2013 +11% 5.1% 2014 +2% 5.4% 2015 -2% 5.2% 2016 +19.2% 6.1% 2017 +0.2% 6.0% 2018 -0.1% 6.1% 2019 +14.0% 6.9% 2020 -7.4% 6.6%

Wind farms are mainly located in the six southern regions: 90% of the number of sites, 90.5% of the installed capacity and 90.6% of the production in 2017:

Region Number Installedpower2017 (MW) Production2017 (GWh) prod. sharewind 2017 Apulia 28.1% Sicily 863 15.8% Campania 593 14.8% Calabria 411 11.5% Basilicata 11.1% Sardinia 580 9.3% Total 100 %

Solar power