ROME, FEBRUARY 23 – The Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security has sent the European Union a proposal for a decree which encourages energy communities, ie forms of self-production and self-consumption of energy from renewable sources. The proposed decree will have to await the green light from the EU Commission for entry into force. Energy communities are groups of people, businesses, cooperatives, local authorities, associations, religious bodies who come together to self-produce and self-consume electricity from renewable sources: photovoltaic, wind, hydroelectric and biomass. The advantages are many: savings on bills, reduction of pollution and emissions, security and energy independence of the country. The proposed decree focuses on two measures: a tariff incentive and a non-repayable grant. Anyone wishing to join an energy community will be able to obtain an incentive rate on the share of energy shared by renewable source plants. The power that can be financed is equal to a total of 5 gigawatts, with a time limit set at the end of 2027. Instead, the measure that allows the disbursement of non-repayable grants of up to 40% of the investment will concern only the communities built in the municipalities under 5,000 inhabitants . The intervention may concern both the construction of new plants and the upgrading of existing plants. In this case the measure is financed with 2.2 billion euros from the Pnrr and aims to achieve a total power of at least 2 gigawatts and an indicative production of at least 2,500 gigawatt hours each year. Whoever obtains the non-repayable grant can ask to combine it with the tariff incentive. The manager of the measure is the GSE (Gestore dei Servizi Energia), which will be able to verify the admissibility of the projects beforehand. (HANDLE).
(ANSA)
