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Italy will postpone the permanent shutdown of its coal-fired power plants until 2038, 13 years later than the initial deadline. <\/p>\n
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The extension was included in the latest energy bill passed on Tuesday. <\/p>\n
It is part of the move by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government to scale back climate goals amid the growing energy crisis sparked by the Iran war. <\/p>\n
The move comes in contrast to other EU countries, whose renewable energy infrastructure is proving a buffer against the fallout. <\/p>\n
Postponement is \u2018right and responsible\u2019<\/p>\n
Italy\u2019s four coal-powered plants, which are currently on stand-by, could be reactivated if gas and oil supply issues escalate, Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin \u200bsaid this month. <\/p>\n
The country had planned to halt the use of coal<\/a> by the end of 2025, as decreed in its 2024 energy and \u200bclimate plan (PNIEC). <\/p>\n The move to postpone the shutdown to \u200c2038 \u2060still needs to be approved by the Senate, but is expected to be met favourably.<\/p>\n The decision has received widespread support from government ministers. <\/p>\n “All energy sources, at least in the immediate future, must be used to their fullest potential,” says Minister for European Affairs and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Tommaso Foti.<\/p>\n The co-ruling League party, which proposed the postponement, said it was “right and responsible” given the severity of the energy<\/a> crisis.<\/p>\n However, environmental groups and the centre-left opposition have criticised the move, with the leader of the Europa Verde green party, Angelo Bonelli, accusing the government of “climate neglect”. <\/p>\n Renewable investments pay off<\/p>\n Germany has also said it may have to slow coal-powered plant shutdowns to ensure energy supplies. <\/p>\n “We must now move quickly to build gas-fired power stations,” Chancellor Friedrich Mer said at a conference, adding that “we may even have to keep existing coal-fired power stations connected to the grid for longer, should the energy crisis continue, and a shortage actually arise.”<\/p>\n However, in other EU countries, investments in renewables are paying off. <\/p>\n Since 2019, Spain has doubled its wind and solar capacity, adding over 40 GW – more than any other EU country except Germany<\/a>, whose power market is twice the size of Spain\u2019s.<\/p>\n As a result, Spain\u2019s electricity price<\/a> is much less influenced by the ever-fluctuating cost of gas, which increased by 55 per cent the day after the Iran war<\/a> started and has continued to rise.<\/p>\n In the UK, record wind has helped break a new renewable record. On 26 March, British wind energy generation hit a new high of 23,880 megawatts, enough power to cover 23 million homes.<\/p>\n