Italian consumers warned of looming energy shortfall

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Don't feel bad, Mr. Conti. None of the other G-8 countries have "resolved" any of their energy issues, either.

Italians could shiver through a cold, dark winter this year thanks to a shambolic bureaucracy and confused decision-making processes that have blocked vital development of energy infrastructure, according to Fulvio Conti, head of Enel, the country's largest utility.

"Watch out. We are in danger," warned Mr Conti in an interview, producing figures that showed how close Italy got to pulling the plug on consumers when gas consumption hit a record, reaching the limit of capacity on January 26, 2006.

That day Italy used 420m cubic metres of gas. Russia, Algeria, Libya and the Netherlands provided the maximum possible of 230m, some 170m were taken from storage and 20m from local production. "We made it barely," he said, explaining how domestic heating and industry were cut back and some power stations were switched from gas to fuel oil.

But nearly two years later Italy, which relies heavily on gas for electricity generation, is actually in a worse situation. Capacity of foreign and domestic supplies remains the same but, because of what Mr Conti called a "bureaucratic shambles between ministries", storage capacity is less.

"How can a G-8 country not resolve this?" he asked. As a result, Italy is at the mercy of the weather, having been saved last winter by unusually mild temperatures. Mr Conti said he thought he could keep the lights on, but warned about heating. Blocked on several fronts at home, it is not surprising that Enel is expanding its markets abroad.

http://www.euro2day.gr/articlesfna/50131959/

[NickB79]

1. Italy slowly reopens doors to nuclear power

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/nuclearPolicies/Italy_to_slowly_reopen_doors_to_nuclear_power_301007.shtml

"Italy is beginning to reconsider nuclear power - some 20 years after a referendum which banned it.

Several members of parliament from different sides of the political spectrum are now speaking in favour of nuclear energy, including representatives of the former Communist Party and Chicco Testa, one of the most vocal promoters of the 1987 phase-out referendum."