Italy’s four coal-powered plants, which are currently on stand-by, could be reactivated if gas and oil supply issues escalate.
Italy will postpone the permanent shutdown of its coal-fired power plants until 2038, 13 years later than the initial deadline.
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The extension was included in the latest energy bill passed on Tuesday.
It is part of the move by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government to scale back climate goals amid the growing energy crisis sparked by the Iran war.
The move comes in contrast to other EU countries, whose renewable energy infrastructure is proving a buffer against the fallout.
Postponement is ‘right and responsible’
Italy’s four coal-powered plants, which are currently on stand-by, could be reactivated if gas and oil supply issues escalate, Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said this month.
The country had planned to halt the use of coal by the end of 2025, as decreed in its 2024 energy and climate plan (PNIEC).
The move to postpone the shutdown to 2038 still needs to be approved by the Senate, but is expected to be met favourably.
The decision has received widespread support from government ministers.
"All energy sources, at least in the immediate future, must be used to their fullest potential," says Minister for European Affairs and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Tommaso Foti.
The co-ruling League party, which proposed the postponement, said it was "right and responsible" given the severity of the energy crisis.
However, environmental groups and the centre-left opposition have criticised the move, with the leader of the Europa Verde green party, Angelo Bonelli, accusing the government of "climate neglect".
Renewable investments pay off
Germany has also said it may have to slow coal-powered plant shutdowns to ensure energy supplies.
"We must now move quickly to build gas-fired power stations," Chancellor Friedrich Mer said at a conference, adding that "we may even have to keep existing coal-fired power stations connected to the grid for longer, should the energy crisis continue, and a shortage actually arise."
However, in other EU countries, investments in renewables are paying off.
Since 2019, Spain has doubled its wind and solar capacity, adding over 40 GW - more than any other EU country except Germany, whose power market is twice the size of Spain’s.
As a result, Spain’s electricity price is much less influenced by the ever-fluctuating cost of gas, which increased by 55 per cent the day after the Iran war started and has continued to rise.
In the UK, record wind has helped break a new renewable record. On 26 March, British wind energy generation hit a new high of 23,880 megawatts, enough power to cover 23 million homes.
A new analysis by SolarPower Europe found that harnessing sunlight for energy has saved Europe more than €100 million per day since 1 March, resulting in total savings of more than €3 billion.
If gas prices remain high, experts say that total savings in 2026 could reach as much as €67.5 billion.
