On One Fine Day in May, 87% of Italy’s Electricity Came From Renewables
Posted on Jul 30, 2017
By Juan Cole / Informed Comment
SNIPPET:
* On one day in May, Italy met 87% of its electricity production needs from renewables. This statistic was a fluke, since ordinarily renewables supply less than a fifth of Italy’s electricity. Still, that on especially bright and windy days renewables can perform at this level is a harbinger for the future. There were no disruptions of the power lines. With enough investment, Italy could get most of its electricity from renewables
Italy is attractive as a market for solar energy, in part because it is a sunny country and solar is a much cheaper alternative to oil, gas and coal. Italy has high electricity rates, impelling a rush to renewables. Solar energy production was up 22% in 2016, and installations continue.
Renewables like wind and solar are up to 17% of Italian electricity production. (They only account for 10% of US electricity production).
An Italian firm also won the right to install solar panels in Bushehr, Iran. Iran generates some electricity with petroleum, which is a loss since it could be sold on the world market. It thus is interested in renewables. Each kilowatt hour brought to Iran by solar equates with more money that can be made by selling the oil abroad instead of wasting it domestically.
If you want to see the future, you don’t look at existing power generation mixes, you look at source of new power. In 2016, 90% of new power generation in Europe was renewables.Read more: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/on_one_fine_day_in_may_italy_got_87_electricity_renewables