Italy's power imports at highest in more than 20 years, watchdog says
MILAN, July 9 (Reuters) -Italy imported nearly 17% of the electricity it consumed last year, the highest percentage since the turn of the century, the country's energy watchdog ARERA said on Tuesday.
Domestic production fell nearly 7% year on year to 264.3 terawatt hours (TWh) weighed down by a steep drop in thermoelectric output, which was partly offset by a rise in renewable energy production, ARERA's annual report said.
Italy's Enel ENEI.MI confirmed its leadership in electricity production in its home country, accounting for nearly 17% of the total, down from 18% in 2022. It also led Italy's renewable producers with a 22% share.
Eni ENEI.MI was the second-biggest power producer with 9.5% of total domestic output.
The ongoing liberalisation of the power market pushed nearly 6 million customers to switch to new suppliers last year, ARERA said, adding that Enel remained Italy's biggest player despite its market share dropping to 34% from 36% in 2022.
Gas-fired power plants generated 45% of Italy's total power production, with renewable energy contributing 44% thanks to a jump in hydroelectric power.
ARERA also said that the average gross electricity price for households rose 6% in Italy last year as the government rolled back incentives and tax breaks introduced in 2022 to cool energy bill increases after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The energy authority said that German households last year paid the highest average gross price for electricity in the euro zone, with Italian retail consumers in second place, followed by their French and Spanish counterparts.
Reporting by Francesca Landini
Editing by David Goodman
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