Investing in renewables is essential, but the EU must also equip itself with a more solid and reliable energy market. On September 24, Francesco Starace spoke at the conference “Technology and Innovation for the Energy Transition” organized by Italy’s National Federation of Knights of Labor. The conference with the managers from the sector’s leading operators took stock of the current energy crisis and the problem of gas supplies. When analyzing the reasons that led to the current critical situation, beyond the well-known ones, it emerged that the lack of forward-looking sector policies capable of anticipating and addressing emergencies was also particularly influential.
“Renewables represent the solution that will take us further into the future. Italy is making change happen: large companies have the task of making it possible and improving the capacity of networks”
Francesco Starace, Enel CEO
“It would be a novelty if Europe finally equipped itself with a long-term market, so that companies could buy energy for the next 10-20 years,” said Francesco Starace, emphasizing that, in this perspective, it is necessary to accelerate the spread of clean energy sources across Italy and Europe: “Renewables represent the solution that will take us further into the future.” The strong growth in companies that are investing in solar power also shows this, as Enel’s CEO observed: “In the first half of 2022, connection requests from small plants more than tripled.”
Therefore, today, “our task is to improve the capacity of networks” by supporting, or rather facilitating, what is happening. However, as Francesco Starace pointed out, a shared commitment is needed for an even faster transition: “With faster authorizations and a more incisive ability to build plants, even large plants will be able to make their contribution.” Contemporary challenges require it: it is not just a question of environmental sustainability, but of economic sustainability and energy independence as well.
Enel editorial staff