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Tuscany to profit from re-awakened government support for geothermal

Tuscany to profit from re-awakened government support for geothermal Bagnore 3 plant, Tuscany, Italy (source: Enel Green Power)
Alexander Richter 10 Jan 2020

Following a long period of uncertainty, it now looks like that a new .decree, to be enacted in February 2020, will reinsert geothermal energy among renewable energy sources that can access incentives.

The President of the Tuscany Region Enrico Rossi participated in the meeting in Pomarance organized by Confapi and the trade union organizations to take stock of the state of geothermal energy, as reported locally. Rossi announced during his speech that in February the government plans to approve the decree that will reinsert geothermal energy among renewable energy sources that can access incentives.

“Just this morning – said Rossi – I spoke with Undersecretary Alessia Morani of the Ministry of Economic Development. He reassured me that in February he plans to approve the decree that will reinsert geothermal energy among renewable energy sources that can access the incentives. It’s a measure we’ve been waiting for for two years. ”

“So I hope – added President Rossi – before the end of my mandate to sign a program agreement for the development of geothermal areas with both the Government and Enel, which said it was favorable but had frozen its signature until the reintegration of geothermal production among renewable energy sources that can be financed through incentives, or with the so-called Fer 2 decree that the government promises to approve in February. This is good news for everyone and for the future of these areas “.

But not only that, President Rossi also spoke of financial packages that can help the geothermal sector.

“Pending its return to make its effects felt, the Region intends to launch a financial package capable of giving oxygen to this sector. We will shortly convene a meeting in Florence with Fidi Toscana, the business world and Cosvig, the Consortium for the development of geothermal areas, to provide this sector with a first package of loans at advantageous conditions “.

“Lastly – these are the other two news provided by Enrico Rossi – by the end of the legislature to adopt two measures, one to transform Cosvig into a real Agency for the development of these areas and the other to declare this territory District geothermal, so as to allow a comparison between all the subjects interested in the development of geothermal.”

Rossi therefore underlined how the geothermal industry provides work, directly and with allied industries, to approximately 5,000 employees divided among the 14 municipalities in the area and that “it would be a macroscopic error to underestimate its importance for this area, of which at least they represent the 50% of GDP and we cannot afford to give up this wealth “.

After recalling how the Region has drawn up a program agreement for almost two years which Enel has shared, but which has decided not to sign until geothermal production is stimulated again, President Rossi said that it is necessary to start immediately to discuss what to do after 2024, and what to ask Enel when the concessions for geothermal exploitation expire.

“In this area – so his conclusions – there are great possibilities for development. They must be guaranteed by improving the environmental quality, recovering CO2 by using it for industrial uses, submitting the new geothermal plants to the Environmental Impact Assessment and improving the operation of those already in function”.

Source: Toscana Media News