Brussels (Brussels Morning) Italy’s Minister of Ecological Transition, Roberto Cingolani, has announced reforms to help simplify the process for approving new renewable energy projects, Reuters reports.
Excessively bureaucratized authorisation processes in Italy are slowing down implementation of new green projects, jeopardising the country’s access to EU recovery funds and its chances of achieving climate goals.
Bureaucratic red tape and other obstacles are the main reason cited for slow issuing of permits. Italy has been installing approximately 0.8 GW of new renewable energy capacity per year when it needs to install roughly 70 GW by 2030.
Cingolani announced new regulations should be prepared by the end of May and will be adopted as part of structural reforms aimed at helping Italy to absorb and utilise EU coronavirus crisis recovery funds.
Reform could be far-reaching
Speaking in an online debate, he stressed “we are intervening… with very drastic measures… brutal”. He said the Government would decide this week whether new regulations should only focus on energy transition or cast a wider net.
It was time, he said, to start finding ways to phase out subsidies for fossil fuel projects , also to take the lead in developing infrastructure for electric vehicles.
As part of its green transition plan from 2019, Italy decided to install 65 GW of new renewable energy capacity by 2030, but the EC has introduced more ambitious environmental goals since, requiring many EU member states to revise their plans.
New energy strategy by July
Cingolani announced Italy would prepare its new energy strategy by July. Appointed Minister of Ecological Transition in February this year, Cingolani has worked in research centres that focus on artificial intelligence and robotics.
Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi has committed to focusing on climate change and making sure the green transition bolsters the economy and helps Italy make full use of EU funds at its disposal.As part of its recovery and resilience plan, Italy is planning to invest 59 billion euro from EU funds into green projects as well as 9 billion from national borrowing.