# Italy Energy Profile — Complete Reference

**URL:** https://thecodex.expert/energy/countries/italy/
**Session:** 56 | **Date:** 2026-07-09

## Summary

Larderello (Tuscany) hosted the world's first geothermal power plant — experimental bulbs lit 1904, commercial generation from 1911. Today: 34 plants/37 units, managed by Enel Green Power, ~800-1,100 MW combined capacity, ~6 TWh/yr — ~10% of world's total geothermal electricity. Valle Secolo (~120 MW, early 1990s) is Europe's largest single geothermal plant. Enel announced ~€3bn investment + 20-yr concession extension (2025), consolidating on Tuscany after divesting international geothermal assets (incl. US). Despite global significance, geothermal = only ~2% of Italy's own electricity (vs hydro ~5%, solar ~12%, wind ~9%). Italy's overall renewable share rose 25.5% (2010) to ~44% (2023), hit 2020 targets 6 years early; installed renewable capacity ~74.5 GW (2025: solar 37GW, hydro 19.6GW, wind 13GW, bioenergy 4.1GW, geothermal 0.8GW). Yet Italy has EU's highest energy import dependency (~74.8% vs France's ~44.8%, aided by nuclear); no operating nuclear plants since 1987 referendum post-Chernobyl. PwC Italia flags permitting complexity as specific constraint on geothermal growth. Sources: PwC Italia, Enel Green Power, World-Energy, EnkiAI, Wikipedia, Terna, GSE Statistical Report.