Power generation N.1

Confindustria at the centre of the
European power debate
Interview with Alberto Biancardi,
Responsible Public Utilities, Energy sector of Confindustria
A new energy system is now the
focus of debate among
businesses and government
institutions, what is the position
of Confindustria on the issue?
As Confindustria president
Montezemolo recently stated,
when asked to comment on new
industrial policy legislation, energy
represents a priority for the
confederation. What we ask, and it
is almost a slogan in its clarity of
position, is in the first instance
investment and business
conditions which align Italian
energy costs with those in leading
European countries. At current
levels, electricity and intensive use
gas prices (large-scale consumers)
are respectively about 20% and
10% higher in Italy. In our view the
re-alignment goal is feasible, in
part by pursuing the process of
liberalisation.
We need to be bold and put
businesses in a position to
compete on an equal footing
with their European
competitors.
After years of stagnation, new
investments are beginning to
appear, particularly in the electric
power generation segment. We
have also set joint activities in
motion with Terna and with local
territorial and Confindustria-related
associations, in six regions
identified as critical points in the
network (Marche, Calabria,
Campania, Friuli, Veneto and
Lombardy). Improving network
capacity can contribute to filling
the gap that weighs on energy
intensive businesses.
We are also working on a series of
measures, regulations and
mechanisms to make it possible to
“ to implement
effective national
and European
energy plans which
achieve a balance
between the needs of
businesses on one
hand and of
institutions on the
other
”
plan investments in a free market.
And as we believe that the
liberalisation process now
underway cannot be reversed, we
need to understand how to
implement effective national and
European energy plans which
achieve a balance between the
needs of businesses on one hand
and of institutions on the other.
Investments in new plant and
broad-based consent: two
frequently converging issues.
When businesses place their trust
in technology they demonstrate
clarity and objectiveness. In turn, it
is the duty of the institutions to
provide information on a joint
basis with enterprises. It shouldn’t
be thought that a climate of
consensus can be created straight
away, after years of relative
information, because when
markets operate badly, this is one
of the prices to pay. There are
various ways to ensure that the
interests of individual energy
companies coincide with the
interests of the community as a
whole, but businesses must first
be made to adopt long term
strategies. During the liberalisation
process business strategy focuses
on short term dynamics, markets
are more open to speculation and
operations are designed to
generate strong profitability in the
short term, something which isn’t
just the case in Italy. The nub of
the matter is therefore the
introduction of rules which can
align far-sighted strategies with the
needs of financial markets.
Different but converging
interests ...
...which is why we need courage,
information and dialogue between
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