Energy, electricity consumption -1% in 2022, domestic production also falls

During 2022, national electricity demand in Italy fell by 1 percent, compared to the previous year, for a total consumption of 316.8 billion kWh.

This is according to Terna, the company that manages the national transmission grid.

In December, total electricity demand stood at 25 billion kWh, down 9.1 percent from a year earlier.

The December figure was also affected by two fewer working days and a monthly average temperature two degrees higher than in December 2021, Terna points out in a statement.

Last year, renewables covered a total of 31.1 percent of demand with hydroelectric production down 37.7 percent due to the long dry spell.

Italy's electricity demand was met 86.4 percent with domestic production and the remainder (13.6 percent) from the balance of energy exchanged with foreign countries.

Net domestic production dropped by 1.3 percent to 276.4 billion kWh in 2022.

(Cristina Carlevaro, editing Andrea Mandalà)