AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE FUTURE OF POWER-GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION WORLD WIDE - THE ITALIAN CASE

The paper presents an updated outlook of the ENEL planning problems up to the end of the century. The Italian energy sector is the most import-and hydrocarbons-dependent of any major EC economies; for the electricity sector figures of 82.5% for the total and of 65.4% for hydrocarbons dependence were respectively recorded. ENEL, state owned since Dec. 6,1962, after renouncing to nuclear source, still suffers of a lack of clear perspectives, mainly caused by troubled relationships with the local Municipalities where the new base-duty plants should be sited. In this framework, a planning flexible enough to accomodate changes in the situation is required. The paper presents the choices of a suitable mix of multifuel coal-fired (10,300 MW) and gas fired plants (6,800 MW) which, together with a well higher partecipation of NUGs to the electricity supply, should reduce at 2000 to only about 4.5% of the ENEL demand the imports from abroad. The accomplishment of the environment protection, its impact on the cost of electricity, the need of finding the huge amount of money in a situation where the updating of the tariffs is subjected to the political intermediation, are discussed. The need of a joint solution by the ENEL, the other companies in the electricity business, the Government for the technical and economical mastering of the said problems is emphasized.