Renewables, record number of grid connection requests in 2023 (+77%)

"According to the European Commission, in Europe, annual investments in the distribution network between 2024 and 2050 could grow to double current values (from 36 billion 2023 to 65 billion in the period 2024-2050), reaching 65 billion euros per year. In Italy, over the next 10 years, investments are estimated at around EUR 6 billion per year, compared to an average of around EUR 2.6 billion in the 2018-2023 period,' said Gianni Vittorio Armani, director of Enel Grids and Innovability. 'To support this important new phase of investment, consistent with the transformations that have taken place and are expected for the energy transition, it is therefore necessary to ensure a continuity of structure that allows for financial stability and sustainable management for distribution network operators. A stability that must also be ensured from the point of view of regulation and governance of these assets.

According to the study, production from self-consumption in Italy has increased by 52 per cent over the past five years, from 4,932 gigawatt hours of photovoltaic production from self-consumption systems in 2019 to 7,498 gigawatt hours in 2023. Through the distribution network in Italy, 37.2 million households, businesses, offices and production facilities are reached. Among the national records, according to the report, is the efficiency of the Italian network compared to the rest of Europe. The report used an analytical evaluation tool to identify the salient and main characteristics of the performance of the distribution network in Italy, comparing it with other countries (France, Germany, UK and Spain). This model showed that the Italian distribution network is among the most virtuous, thanks to effective capital investment that has enabled high rates of innovation, efficiency and infrastructural development. In particular, the Italian network ranks first in Europe in terms of investment effectiveness, penetration rate and smart meter functionality, and cost-effectiveness of network charges; and second in terms of performance relative to network losses and growth in distributed electricity. These records, however, could be reduced if sufficient investment is not ensured to increase the resilience of the grid against the effects of climate change.

Italy holds another unenviable record: according to the study, it ranks first among the 27 EU countries in terms of climate-related economic losses, with EUR 284 in per capita losses in 2022, EUR 167.1 more than the European average (EUR 116.9 per capita). On average, losses are caused by floods (44% of cases), storms (34%), heat waves (14%) and other events.