ITALY

Italy has 5,190 megawatts (MW) of operating coal power capacity and has retired 4,834 MW of coal power capacity since 2000. Only 5% of the country’s power production was provided by coal as of 2021. The vast majority of its coal is imported, with its small domestic coal production primarily taking place in the Sulcis coal basin in Sardinia for iron and steel making. The country joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance in 2017, the year it was launched. That year, the country announced a coal phaseout date of 2025 as part of its National Energy Strategy. In 2022, the government deployed short-term energy measures following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. For example, the government issued a regulation authorizing the six key operating coal plants in Italy to run at higher capacity until March 2023. In late 2023, the country's coal phaseout date was pushed back to 2027 given possible delays in retiring two power stations on Sardegna. As of mid-2024, units remain in operation at four coal plants, and additional units were mothballed at two coal plants.