During the annual Ambrosetti Forum event held in Cernobbio, Italy, on September 5-7, 2025, the leading Italian energy company Edison and the think tank group The European House Ambrosetti (TEHA) presented a study called “The State of Energy Transition in Italy: Principles and Policies to Ensure Security and Competitiveness”. The study assesses the state of energy transition in Italy and outlines objectives to be achieved by 2050.
Current picture
The current picture, which sees Italy close to the conclusion of its energy transition paths, in particular the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (INECP) and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), shows that Italy is in line with 30 percent of the key performance indicators (KPIs) outlined for 2030, but more than 10 years behind in terms of energy generation from renewable sources and the development of energy storage systems.
“At the current implementation speed, we will not be able to meet the commitments made at national and European level. This is a challenge that we cannot afford to underestimate, because not only the trajectory of decarbonization depends on it, but also the ability of the country to maintain a competitive role on the global scene depends on it,” Valerio De Molli, managing partner and CEO of TEHA Group, commented. Nicola Monti, CEO of Edison, also stated: "The energy transition is a complex challenge that involves both the way energy is produced and consumed, and industrial competitiveness and security of the country. To achieve the objectives, we need a systemic approach that accelerates authorizations, gives certainty to investments and contains bill costs.”
What the study proposes
The study developed by Edison and TEHA has in fact identified four key points for Italy to complete the energy transition more quickly and efficiently:
- Integrate existing and immediately usable technologies (photovoltaics, onshore wind power, batteries, etc.) with strategic low-carbon technologies (new nuclear power, carbon capture and storage, offshore wind power, etc.)
- Evaluate this mix of technologies in terms of speed of deployment, overall costs for the end customer, resilience and systemic security, and economic and industrial impacts for the country
- Formalize a mechanism for annual monitoring and triennial updating of the objectives for 2050 (roadmap)
- Balancing supply-side and demand-side incentives to stimulate citizens and businesses to adopt new decarbonized technologies
Key issues and technologies
In the press release by Edison and TEHA presenting the study, it emerges that, although the development of renewable energy is a key element for Italy, it is hampered by extra costs that make Italian "Ready to Build" photovoltaic projects more than 20 percent more expensive than the average in France, Germany and Spain.
More specifically, the development of renewable energy requires short- and medium-long term storage systems. The value of this process could generate an estimated economic impact of €110 billion. In parallel, the study highlights the importance of technologies such as new nuclear power and carbon capture and storage (CCS). The former, if developed in the form of European partnerships, could generate value for up to €50 billion by 2050, while the latter emerges as an ideal method to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors.
Economic value of the actions undertaken
In conclusion, the study states that, with the right balance of these technologies and an adequate, monitored and constantly updated roadmap, an economic value of around €190 billion could be generated by 2050, and access to clean energy at competitive costs for industries will be easier.