Sardinia is the first region to adopt an organic regulation regarding plants for the production of energy from renewable sources. The Regional Council approved this morning, by majority, the final vote on the bill on eligible and unsuitable areaswho entered the council commissions 75 days ago. The green light – with 35 yes and 14 no – was welcomed this morning by applause from the majority councillors. According to what was proposed by the Council, with this law 98% of the island’s territory falls among the unsuitable areas. The examination of the measure in the Chamber began on November 12th. The approval times were lengthened due to the tug of war between the majority and the centre-right opposition which did not agree with either the bill or the method with which the Giunta and Campo Largo developed it. The minority resorted to every tool made available by the council regulation to slow down the work, until an agreement was found with the majority. The majority then decided to accept some of the minority’s amendments, which they insisted for a long time to bring immediately to the Chamber the popular initiative bill ‘Pratobello 24’ against energy speculation, signed last summer by over 211 thousand people. The Chamber also approved two agendas proposed by the opposition: one commits the Council to providing for a regional tax on renewable energy production plants; the other calls for implementation rules of the Statute aimed at strengthening the protection of Sardinia’s landscape.
“After three weeks of discussion and great debate, the approval of bill 45 is the demonstration that in any case democracy must win in a civil society. Because the rules must always be respected”, declared the president of the regional council, Piero Comandini. “I thank the majority and opposition for the great contribution given to improving the law. This is only a first step in a long journey. The Assembly will work in the coming months to give Sardinia measures regarding energy for the good of our territory and to be ready for the energy transition.”
The flashmob protest under the Regional Council. Credits: Eleonora Bullegas
Todde: “It’s a first step for a regional energy strategy”
“With this law, we not only decline the criteria that make an area suitable or unsuitable for the installation of renewable plants, but we will allocate approximately 700 million euros between now and 2030 for energy communities, photovoltaic systems, accumulations of electricity for self-consumption, with incentives – including non-refundable – intended for citizens, municipalities, businesses, private individuals and regional bodies and energy communities”, underlines the president of the Region, Alessandra Todde. ” All plants, both new ones and those in the process of authorisation, can only be built if they fall within suitable areas”.
While the Chamber approved the law, under the Regional Council building, with a flash mob, a few dozen demonstrators from the Pratobello 2024 Network committees contested Todde and the majority group leaders, accused of not having immediately discussed the initiative law proposal popular against energy speculation and denounce what they consider a deficit of democracy. The activists placed a cardboard cutout depicting a donkey, with a wig and a photo with President Todde’s eyes, flanked by rag puppets, placed on some chairs, with photos and caricatures of the former Prime Minister , Mario Draghi and the group leaders of the majority of the Regional Council.
What the bill contains
The bill on areas suitable and unsuitable for the installation of new energy production plants from renewable sources in Sardinia, approved this morning by the Regional Council, refers to the special statute of autonomy. The text defines, first of all, the type of plants to which the regulation will apply and lists a series of definitions, including that of irreversible modification of places, with the aim of achieving the energy transition objectives and at the same time guaranteeing the protection of cultural and landscape heritage, of agricultural and forestry areas, favoring the use of surfaces of built structures: industrial warehouses and car parks, areas for industrial and artisanal use.
Self-consumption fund
The Sardinia Region will establish a rotation fund, also fueled by national and European resources, with an initial allocation of 678 million euros from 2025 to 2030, to encourage the production of energy from renewables intended for self-consumption. The Region will also be able to provide non-repayable grants and use financial instruments to support the installation of photovoltaic and electricity storage systems intended for self-consumption for individuals, businesses and professionals based on the island, energy communities, local authorities and regional public bodies.
Particular attention will be paid to energy communities. The Region will have to adopt measures to incentivize energy communities, even as a priority.
Exceptions
Municipalities will be able to submit requests to the Region to create plants or storage systems from renewable energy sources even in areas not classified as unsuitable. The green light, however, can only come after agreement with the Region and after a public debate, a participatory process which must involve the populations of the municipalities interested in the intervention and conclude with a positive outcome. The request must be accompanied by a feasibility study, according to a detailed procedure provided for in the bill approved this morning, and presented by the municipal council concerned, after a resolution adopted by a qualified majority, taking into account the visual or landscape impact of the plant or the Fer accumulation.
Regional Energy Agency
The establishment of the Regional Energy Agency is also envisaged, which the Regional Council will have to outline with a bill to be approved within 120 days of the law coming into force. The Regional Energy Observatory will be established within the Agency, a tool for analyzing and monitoring energy production and supporting regional energy policies.
The ‘moratorium’ law repealed
With the entry into force of the rule on suitable and unsuitable areas, the ‘moratorium’ law, no. 5 of last July contested by the government, with which the Regional Council had approved a stop, of up to 18 months, will be repealed installation of new energy production plants from renewable sources on the island. The Constitutional Court’s ruling on law 5 was expected shortly.