There are funds for the energy transition, but to be able to spend them, reforms must be accelerated. This is the main message from companies that emerged on the opening day of the Italian Energy Summit, organized by 24 Ore Eventi with Il Sole 24 Ore, which saw the online presence of over 1,600 participants. Today the second day. The Minister of Ecological Transition, Roberto Cingolani, has pointed the finger at the main node in the challenge “of colossal proportions” for decarbonization, permitting. The government intervened with the simplification decree, but others are needed, including local ones, highlighted the major energy companies that took part in the conference. «The Recovery Plan can be a lever for a further streamlining of procedures – affirms Giuseppe Gola, CEO of Acea. – In particular, greater coordination between the national government and the regions would be needed ».
Frank Meyer, who has led E.on Italy since April, is confident: “We are in the right country at the right time, the Draghi government has made transition a priority and has already shown that it can make decisions”.
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We must hurry, also not to lose EU funds. “The pandemic is being defeated with extraordinary measures and I believe that also in the authorization field we should do the same, the permitting system must be thoroughly reviewed”, exhorts Paolo Merli, CEO of Erg. “We are talking about digital transition, but we should talk about bureaucratic transition”, is the invitation of Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas. Also for Fabrizio Di Amato, president of Maire Tecnimont, “it is important not only to attract capital but also to have correct procedures”. To accelerate the development of renewables, Simone Demarchi, CEO of Axpo Italy, also invites us to rely more on the market: «The PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) tool is essential to avoid incentives that are then downloaded to the bill. To get them off the ground, the main problem is to speed up permitting, but the financial system must also mature ». “On authorization issues, perhaps a further simplification is necessary”, agrees Terna’s CEO, Stefano Donnarumma, while Renato Mazzoncini (A2A) highlights how the greatest obstacles to the construction of infrastructures arise at the local level: “I believe that institutions must take more responsibility , from the regional to the national level “. To overcome the Nimby syndrome, presence in the area can be decisive: “It is necessary to recover the theme of trust, re-educate the population, bring people into the plants”, underlines Gianni Vittorio Armani, CEO of Iren. Massimo Quaglini, CEO of Edison Energia, agrees: “With the collaboration of everyone, citizens and businesses, the transition is achieved”. It is also essential that the transition is not only rapid but above all fair. “By abandoning ideologies and joining forces, the objectives of the Fit-for-55 can also be achieved”, assures Giuseppe Ricci, president of Confindustria Energia, convinced that “what seems an impossible challenge can become a great opportunity by applying all the integrations and synergies, without leaving anyone behind ». “Economic growth and social well-being on the one hand, respect for the planet on the other,” sums up Valeria Termini, economist and member of the UN High Level Dialogue on Energy 2021-COP26. “We are witnessing an unprecedented paradigm shift in the energy model”, observes Francesco Gagliardi, KPMG partner, and also within companies “the main driver of the change will be the issue of enhancing human capital”.
The subject of price increases also emerged several times during the conference. For the raw materials necessary for the transition Valerio Battista, CEO of Prysmian, thinks that “it will take six months to a year, then we will return to a more normal situation”. As for the surge in gas, which has more than tripled in price since the beginning of the year, TAP has helped us as far as possible, remembers managing director Luca Schieppati: the pipeline has not only added diversification to the sources, but “has contributed to eliminating the spread between PSV and TTF, without we would have paid even more expensive gas ».