Saturday,
September 15, 2007
The
ANNOTICO Report
Shortfalls in gas
supplies from
However,
There will have
to be focus on innovation, on energy efficiency technology, sustainable
transport, wind, photovoltaic energy and ecological buildings. Nuclear Energy
which was rejected in 1987, may have to be revisited, or Enel
will have to buy Nuclear power from
Reuters
Sat
September 15, 2007
"We are not giving up on nuclear even if it's not our
immediate answer," Economic Development Minister Pierluigi
Bersani told La Repubblica
newspaper in an interview.
"It's important not to miss the technology train ... in
the future, there will be smaller plants without the
problems of waste. Why reject those now?" he said.
Last week, the country's biggest power producer Enel said there could be blackouts this year because Italy
did not have the infrastructure for alternative supplies -- a push for
reluctant regional administrations to open up to building of gas terminals.
In 2008, Italy is due to complete an 8 billion cubic meters
offshore terminal for gas imports -- an alternative to its heavy use of
pipelines, which Russia's move proved were unreliable.
Bersani said his policies for industry focused on
innovation, on energy efficiency technology and sustainable transport, adding
companies themselves had eagerly turned to photovoltaic energy and ecological
buildings.
"In the next budget, incentives will be improved and it
will be like that for years to come," Bersani
said.
Cabinet undersecretary Enrico Letta
told Il Messaggero newspaper that in rejecting
nuclear power in 1987 "we lost a great opportunity."
Letta said gas "is the only way to avoid returning to
oil," adding that "it is the cleanest (energy) source and the one to
use if we want to limit ... oil and not overstretch the use of coal."
He said
"We have to do it in a way ... that makes them a bit
ours too," he said.
Enel used to own all nuclear power stations in
Letta said photovoltaic energy, which has recently been given
incentives by the government, was another option, and together with wind and
bio-fuels, could be developed in
"My idea is to have a deal between the central
government and the regions of the south ... taking a big bet on the south
becoming a platform for renewable energy production," he said.
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