Renewable energy in Italy: incentives, bureaucratic obstacles and Nimby syndrome

Italy is a country where the energy supply depends largely on imported raw materials (such as oil and natural gas). The favorable geographic location could encourage the development of renewable energy sources; nevertheless, the growth of alternative energy sources is slow. What are the reasons? This question will be dealt in this chapter, considering three different aspects of the issue: the economic incentives for renewable energies, the problematic process of authorization of the facilities and the local communities' opposition to new plants. Besides the analysis of these issues, the aim of this paper is to identify possible solutions, taking into account the relevant legislative and regulatory changes that, at national and Community level, have affected and are affecting the field of renewable energy.