The Veneto Regional Council has recently approved a new plan, aiming to increase renewable energy generation capacity by 6 GW by 2030. The implementation of this energy plan is expected to bring an investment of approximately $8 billion and generate economic impacts of around €19.7 billion, involving the participation of over 107,000 professionals. Luca Zaia, President of the Veneto Region, announced that the committee has given the green light to the regional energy plan, marking the completion of a two-year effort.

Following the approval of the plan's preliminary documents in April this year, and after public consultation and review by the Strategic Environmental Assessment Committee, the key provisions have been incorporated into the final version.

According to the plan, by 2030, Veneto's renewable energy production will increase by 5.7 TWh annually, equivalent to the energy consumption of all Veneto households in 2021. At the same time, the region’s dependence on imported energy will decrease from the current 50% to around 34%. Additionally, energy consumption is expected to reduce by 1.13 Mtoe, equivalent to 10% of the Veneto system's total energy use in 2019.

The plan offers significant environmental benefits, including a reduction of around 15 million tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to planting about 148 million trees. Furthermore, sectors like transportation, civil, agriculture, and small industries will see a reduction of approximately 3.5 million tons of CO2 emissions.

To achieve these goals, Veneto plans to build on its existing 4 GW of renewable energy generation as of 2022, further adding 6 GW of installed capacity, with 2.5 GW coming from photovoltaic power. The plan also ensures alignment with regional legislation, particularly in areas designated for renewable energy installations.

The plan has now been submitted to the regional committee for final approval.