The Italian industry is losing land in international competition due to a structural problem: the cost ofelectricity. According to a study by Confindustriain 2024 Italian companies paid electricity:
• 87% more than France,
• 70% more than Spain,
• Almost 40% more than Germany.
This situation is not sustainable. While the Companies of other countries They benefit from lower energy prices, the Italian ones see erosion of their market shares and difficulties in competing on the final prices of the products.
Why does Italy pay more than others?
The first cause is the taxation excessive. In the first half of 2024, taxes on the bills of companies in Italy weighed for 27.5% of the final cost, almost double the European average. This makes the Italian production system less competitive than the countries that impose a lighter tax burden on energy.
In addition, the energy crisis followed to the Russian invasion of Ukraine has highlighted another big problem: Italy depends too much on gas to produce electricity. After the stop to Russian supplies, the price of gas in Europe has increased drastically, with devastating effects on the cost of Italian electricity.
How to make the Italian industry more competitive?
To reduce the cost of energy and make Italian companies more competitive, two strategic actions are needed:
1. Invest in nuclear power
France has cheaper energy thanks to its network of nuclear power plants, which provide stable electricity, economic and independent of the price of the gas. Italy also must return to investing in nuclear power, as many European countries are doing. Nuclear energy means:
• Low cost electricity for businesses and citizens,
• less dependence on foreign gas,
• Greater energy safety and price stability.
2. Disacuchoppia the price of electric energy from gas
Currently, the price of electricity in Italy is linked to that of gas, even if the energy comes from cheaper sources such as renewable and hydroelectric. By separating the two prices, electricity could have costs closer to the real value of production, instead of being inflated by the gas.
If Italy wants to protect its industry and maintain competitiveness on the global market, it can no longer ignore the problem of expensive energy. Investing in nuclear power and disintegrating the price of electricity from gas are obligatory passages to ensure a more sustainable and economically advantageous energy future.
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