Volume 1: Energy Innovations: Accelerated Deployment, New Concepts, and Emerging Technologies

Electrify Italy: The Role of Renewable Energy Mehdi Jafari, Chiara Delmastro, Daniele Grosso, Ettore Bompard, Audun Botterud

Abstract

In this paper, we evaluate the current status and future outlook (i.e. for 2022, 2030, 2050) for renewable electricity sources (RES) in Italy, considering the present challenges and solutions for relevant dimensions such as technology advancement and environmental impacts. We provide quantitative projections for future RES penetration levels in Italy, based on a cost-based analysis of future generation expansion. The economic expansion analysis indicates that by 2050, more than 80% of the electricity will be provided by RES even in the absence of a CO2 price. This share can even go above 90% with CO2 emission reduction measures such as a CO2 price. These high penetrations of RES will lead to a substantial reduction of the CO2 emissions from the electricity sector in Italy.

Keywords Renewable Energy Sources, energy storage, capacity expansion analysis, CO2 emission reduction