Despite of, or perhaps because of, Italy's economic troubles- the country is currently trying to push its renewable energy target up to 35% by 2020- an ambitious jump of almost 10 percentage points.
The public discussion regarding the Renewable Energy Plan, currently occurring at the Ministries of Environment and Economic Development is being interpreted as a positive sign for advocates of renewable energy. The provision s reportedly in the new plan include an annual subsidy limit of €200 million for solar projects over 6k; unlimited net metering for solar projects under 6kW; and an adjusted (reduced) Feed-in Tariff (FiT) of €0.17/kWh.
Nearby, Greece is making similar moves, as the Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos recently named solar energy as a national priority. He also hopes to commit $25 billion to make Greece 100% powered by renewable energy. Papademos recognizes a Greece comparative advantage in solar power- and plans to power its neighbors as well. However, according to EU Commissioner for Energy, Gunther Oettinger, Greece must significantly beef up its grid capabilities- first. Still it's widely accepted that the country could be the key to a trans-European electricity grid.
Read more about Italy and Greece's solar goals and power potential in this article by Steve Leone- Greece, Italy See Solar as Path to Economic Stability.
