The Ministry of Economic Development Decree (series no. 186 of August 9, 2019), concerning incentives for electricity produced by onshore wind, solar photovoltaic, hydroelectric and wastewater treatment plants (Decree FER1), has finally been published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale.

The measure that has been long awaited by operators in the sector, which came into force on 10 August, aims to support the production of energy from renewable sources in order to achieve the objectives fixed in the National Integrated Plan for Energy and Climate (PNIEC), through incentives and tendering procedures aimed at promoting, both in environmental and economic terms, the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the system.

In order to implement the measure, plants with a total capacity of about 8,000 MW will be installed over the next three years (with a completion date of 2023), generating an increase in production from renewable sources of about 12 TWh and investments estimated around 10 billion Euro.

"The DM FER1" - says Massimiliano D'Angelo, General Manager of REM srl - "represents the first solid answer to the renewable energy market needs which is finally ready for a new cycle of investments in order to achieve the PNIEC targets, marking already in 2020 the return of Italy as a Gigamarket also thanks to the attractiveness of applications for self-consumption and to the dedicated incentives for the removal of eternit".

On August 23, the GSE published the operating procedures required by the decree allowing the opening of the first registry session and the operation of technology neutral auctions with the first session scheduled for September 30.