Photovoltaics in the fields: mediation sought. Lollobrigida: 'No disagreement with Pichetto Fratin'

Technicians are at work to find a mediation and thus recompose the fibrillations that have swept through the government after Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida's decision to stop new photovoltaic installations with ground-mounted modules on agricultural land in the new decree expected to be presented to the Council of Ministers on Monday.

A setback that has provoked the irritation of his colleague for the Environment and Energy Security, Forzista Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, who was displeased by the lack of agreement on the measure. On which he is seeking mediation in these hours after the owner of Mase opened a channel of dialogue with the other side and spoke of 'ongoing talks' to identify 'the best formulation' that would satisfy all parties.

Throwing water on the fire was Minister Lollobrigida who, when questioned on the sidelines of stage 1 of the E-24 Giro, denied any disagreement with his government colleague. "Pichetto and I are not only colleagues, we are friends and we talk constantly. It has come out that there are disagreements between him and me, but there is no foundation whatsoever. Pichetto as a farmer knows very well how important the protection of the land is; we do not ban solar energy production, the ministry has financed 13,500 farms this year alone and we will reach 26,000 to put solar panels on areas such as barn roofs and industry but without black spots on the ground'.

The minister's reference is to the possible consumption of land connected to new renewable installations, on which Lollobrigida has the support of one of the main associations in the agricultural sector, Coldiretti, which again yesterday reiterated its position. "To protect national agriculture," writes the farmers' association, "we also need a decisive stop to wild photovoltaics, with the covering of entire productive agricultural areas with stretches of hectares of panels on the ground. Coldiretti is not against renewables, as demonstrated by the strong participation in the Pnnr measure for photovoltaic installations on the roofs of stables and farmsteads".

On the other hand, the energy sector associations, Elettricità Futura and Utilitalia, have taken a different view. Yesterday, their two presidents, Agostino Re Rebaudengo and Filippo Brandolini, sent a letter to Minister Pichetto Fratin and Lollobrigida himself highlighting the possible consequences of the block contained in the draft decree, which would lead to the halt of 80% of the projects already authorised. While Italia Solare has estimated the possible losses resulting from the halt at 60 billion, between investments that risk remaining at a standstill and lost revenue from taxes and compensation to municipalities.