Energy Communities, requests for 1.4 billion (but resources for 795 million)

Renewable energy communities: the resources requested as of 30 November 2025 for the construction of connected plants amount to EUR 1.4 billion for a total capacity of 3.3 GW. This is how the Gse, manager of the measure, communicated the final numbers of the mechanism that provides for a non-repayable contribution up to a maximum of 40% of the eligible expenses, financed by Pnrr funds, to build renewable plants to feed the self-consumption of energy communities (Cer).

The procedure closed on 30 November, after an initial deadline of 31 March had been extended to support wider participation. For the same purpose, again this year, had come the raising of the size threshold of municipalities in which to build incentivised plants: the limit had been raised from 5,000 to 50,000 inhabitants. Two changes designed to speed up applications for the Pnrr resources available - which initially amounted to 2.2 billion - given that in the spring applications had arrived for a capacity of less than 100 MW, out of the 1.7 GW estimated for the completion of the measure.

Now the target for new renewable capacity seems to have been exceeded - although it must be remembered that we are talking about submitted applications, which have not yet been technically investigated and screened, and that probably not all the plants for which the incentive was requested will be realised. In terms of available funds, however, there has been some news. On 21 November, while the procedure was still open, the Ministry of the Environment, in the context of the sixth revision of the NRP, announced that 'with reference to the measure dedicated to renewable energy communities, the financial endowment, as a result of reprogramming, is now equal to 795.5 million euro'.

The news aroused the concern of operators, so much so that the Ministry of the Environment itself, a few days later, on 26 November, published a note explaining the 1.4 billion cut: 'The initial amount of 2.2 billion had been defined in 2021 on the basis of simulations that assumed support entirely disbursed in the form of interest-free loans up to 100 per cent of eligible costs, a modality that was hardly reconcilable with the real implementation dynamics and with the actual financial needs of potential project initiatives Cer. With the Pnrr change made in 2023, it was possible to transform the type of support from loans to grants. This change, in order to ensure compliance with European state aid rules, as stipulated by the European Commission decision, could not exceed the maximum intensity of 40% of eligible costs. With the same Cer targets, the actual need for Pnrr resources was therefore much lower

The ministry continued: 'The applications submitted to date, which will now be subjected to technical investigation, appear to be consistent with the new budget, also taking into account the physiological reduction (approximately 10-15%) between projects submitted and projects actually admitted to funding. Now, with the publication of the actual numbers of applications, for resources that are almost double those available, the difference does not seem to be closeable. In fact, Mase, already in its 26 November statement, had declared that it would take an active part 'in seeking further resources to Cer, in case of need, either through the possible refinancing of the measure, or through recourse to other national or European investment plans'.