Country energy profile · Southern Europe · latest data 2025

Italy energy mix & electricity

In 2025, Italy generated 265 TWh of electricity. Natural gas is the largest source at 47.2%, ahead of solar power (16.9%) and hydropower (15.8%).

Gas 47.2%Solar 16.9%Hydro 15.8%Wind 8.1%Bioenergy 5.9%Oil 2.6%Other renewables 2.2%Coal 1.4%

Renewable electricity

48.8%

48.8% low-carbon incl. nuclear

#62 of 158

Carbon intensity

285g/kWh

World 458 g

#59 of 158 cleanest

Electricity per person

4,475kWh

World 3,860 kWh

#56 of 158

Generation

265TWh

−15 TWh vs 2015

#21 of 213

Net imports

47TWh

15% of demand

#1 of 80 importers

Electricity generation by source in 2025

Share of electricity generation by source, with the change in percentage points over the last ten years.

Italy electricity mix 2025

Source	TWh	Share	10-yr Δ pp
Gas	125	47.2%	+7.6
Solar	44.63	16.9%	+8.7
Hydro	41.7	15.8%	−0.5
Wind	21.48	8.1%	+2.8
Bioenergy	15.61	5.9%	−1
Oil	6.81	2.6%	−3.4
Other renewables	5.69	2.2%	−0.1
Coal	3.73	1.4%	−14
Total	265	100%

Italy: electricity in context

In 2025, Italy generated 265 TWh of electricity. That is about 0.8% of the world total, similar to Egypt. Natural gas is the largest source at 47.2%, ahead of solar power (16.9%) and hydropower (15.8%).

The renewable share stood at 48.8%, placing Italy 62nd of 158 ranked countries. This puts it 15 points above the world average of 33.8%. It is also above the average for Europe (41.6%). That beats the EU-27 average of 47.7%. Generating one kWh emits about 285 g CO₂e here (world average: 458 g). The grid is comfortably cleaner than the world average. On carbon intensity, Italy ranks 59th of 158 from the cleanest.

The decade’s big winner is solar power, up 21.7 TWh between 2015 and 2025 (plus 8.7 percentage points of the mix). The biggest decline came from coal (−39.5 TWh). Taken together, the renewable share rose by 9.9 percentage points over the decade. Total generation shrank by 15 TWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 399 to 285 g/kWh, a 29% cut.

Coal is in clear retreat: its share fell from 15.4% in 2015 to 1.4% in 2025, after peaking at 16.7% back in 1988. In absolute terms, coal generation peaked in 2012 at 49.1 TWh and has since fallen 92%.

Wind and solar together provided 25% of electricity (solar 16.9%, wind 8.1%), compared with 17.3% worldwide. Per person, that is 755 kWh of solar electricity a year, 2.2× the global average. In solar electricity per person, Italy ranks 23rd in the world. Wind adds 363 kWh per person. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2011.

Italy generates 4,475 kWh of electricity per resident each year, 1.2 times the global average. Imports cover around 15% of demand: Italy bought 46.9 TWh more electricity than it exported.

How the power mix has changed

Electricity generation by source since 1985. Switch to shares to see the structural shift independent of demand growth.

Electricity generation by source, 1985–2025

Renewables and carbon intensity

Italy against the world, Europe and EU-27 averages.

Renewable share of electricity (%)

Carbon intensity (g CO₂e/kWh)

Solar and wind share of electricity since 2000 (%)

Total energy: beyond electricity

Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Renewables supply 20.9% of primary energy and fossil fuels 79.1% (2024). Per person, that is 28,585 kWh a year (world: 21,654).

Primary energy consumption by source (TWh)

Substitution method: non-fossil electricity is converted to the primary energy a fossil plant would have needed.

Fossil fuel production (TWh)

Domestic extraction of coal, gas and oil, in energy terms.

Power plants in Italy

The WRI Global Power Plant Database lists 396 utility-scale plants in Italy with a combined capacity of 73.1 GW. Gas plants account for the largest slice (53% of listed capacity). The biggest single plant is MONTALTO (Alessandro Volta) (3,446 MW, Gas). The database was last updated in 2021, so newer wind and solar farms and rooftop PV are under-represented.

Listed capacity by fuel (MW)

Map of the largest plants loads when you scroll here…

Largest power plants

#	Plant	Fuel	Capacity MW	Commissioned	Owner
1	MONTALTO (Alessandro Volta)	Gas	3,446	—	ENEL
2	Brindisi Sud power station	Coal	2,640	1992	Enel SpA
3	PORTO TOLLE	Oil	2,640	—	ENEL
4	Torrevaldaliga Nord power station	Coal	1,980	2009	Enel
5	TURBIGO	Oil	1,569	—	Edipower
6	TAVAZZANO	Gas	1,520	2005	E. On
7	TORREVALDALIGA South	Gas	1,488	—	Tirreno
8	LA CASELLA C.LE	Gas	1,466	—	Enel
9	OSTIGLIA	Gas	1,457	2013	E On
10	VADO Ligure	Gas	1,353	2007	Tirreno Power
11	La Spezia power station	Coal	1,300	1967	Enel SpA
12	PIOMBINO TERMICA	Oil	1,280	—	ENEL
13	ENIPOWER BRINDISI	Gas	1,260	—	Enipower
14	TERMINI IMERESE C.LE	Gas	1,235	—	—
15	ROSSANO TE	Oil	1,200	—	—

Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 396 plants on the interactive power plant map.

Solar & wind farms: Italy

1,667 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 5.4 GW of solar and 10.4 GW of wind operating, plus 59.1 GW under construction or planned.

See them on the map Largest solar & wind farms: Italy →

How does Italy compare?

Italy next to 6 neighbouring countries, plus regional and world averages. Click a column to sort; use “Compare” for full side-by-side charts.

Country	Renewable %	Low-carbon %	Fossil %	gCO₂/kWh	kWh / person	Generation TWh
Italy	48.8%	48.8%	51.2%	285	4,475	265	—
France	26.1%	94.9%	5.1%	41	8,552	570	Compare
Austria	83.6%	83.6%	16.4%	117	8,034	73.2	Compare
Switzerland	67.8%	97.7%	2.3%	39	7,251	65	Compare
Slovenia	39.6%	78.9%	21.1%	183	7,010	14.8	Compare
Croatia	76.3%	76.3%	23.7%	159	3,820	14.7	Compare
Bosnia and Herzegovina	43.6%	43.6%	56.4%	571	4,599	14.4	Compare
Europe average	41.6%	62%	38%	271	6,203	4,626	Compare
European Union (EU-27) average	47.7%	71.1%	28.9%	210	6,230	2,797	Compare
World average	33.8%	42.6%	57.4%	458	3,860	31,772	Compare

Calculators for Italy

Solar panel outputHow much a rooftop PV system would produce in Rome, using NASA weather data.Prefilled for Rome →Wind turbine energyAnnual energy and capacity factor of a turbine near Rome.Prefilled for Rome →Electricity CO₂Emissions of your electricity use. The grid here averages 285 g/kWh.Calculate emissions →Compare countriesPut Italy side by side with France or up to three others.Open comparator →

Italy energy: frequently asked questions

What percentage of electricity in Italy is renewable?

In 2025, 48.8% of the electricity in Italy came from renewable sources (solar 16.9%, hydro 15.8%, wind 8.1%, bioenergy 5.9%, and geothermal & other 2.2%). The world average is 33.8%. Italy ranks 62nd of 158 countries; see the full ranking.

What is the main source of electricity in Italy?

Natural gas is the largest source of electricity in Italy, providing 47.2% of generation in 2025, followed by solar power (16.9%) and hydropower (15.8%).

How clean is the electricity in Italy?

Electricity in Italy has a carbon intensity of about 285 g CO₂-equivalent per kWh (2025), against a world average of 458 g/kWh. That is relatively clean. Charging an electric car that uses 15 kWh/100 km therefore emits around 43 g CO₂e per km from electricity.

Does Italy have nuclear power?

No. Italy generated no nuclear electricity in 2025; its low-carbon electricity comes entirely from renewable sources (48.8% of generation).

How much electricity does Italy use per person?

Italy generates about 4,475 kWh of electricity per person per year (2025), compared with a world average of 3,860 kWh. Including all fuels for transport, heating and industry, primary energy use is about 28,585 kWh per person.

How much solar power does Italy produce?

Solar panels produced 44.6 TWh in 2025, 16.9% of the electricity in Italy. The solar share is up 8.7 percentage points in ten years. You can estimate what a rooftop system would produce at your address with our solar panel calculator.

Does Italy import electricity?

Yes. Italy was a net importer in 2025, importing 46.9 TWh more electricity than it exported.

More countries in Europe

Sources & references

Our World in Data: Energy dataset (CC BY 4.0) — compiled from the sources below
Ember: Yearly Electricity Data — generation, shares, carbon intensity
Energy Institute: Statistical Review of World Energy — primary energy, fossil production
U.S. Energy Information Administration: International Energy Data — gap-filling for smaller countries
World Resources Institute: Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0) — power plant locations and capacity

Electricity data: Ember and Energy Institute Statistical Review via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0); latest year 2025. Power plants: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). Rankings exclude systems under 1 TWh and values older than 2020. Figures may be revised by the original publishers.