Landscape protection
With the DGR n. 427 the Regional Council has pre-adopted the proposed law “Urgent measures for the energy transition and the protection of the Umbrian landscape” on the proposal of the environmental councillor Thomas De Luca which aims to implement the national and European provisions on the promotion of the use of energy from renewables, in particular Legislative Decree 199/2021 and Ministerial Decree 21 June 2024. The objective is to identify suitable and unsuitable areas for the installation of renewable energy sources, balancing energy planning with the protection of the landscape, the environment, agricultural and forestry areas, water resources, biodiversity and Umbrian cultural heritage. The law arises from the urgency of addressing the climate crisis that risks inevitably transforming the Umbrian landscape and from the serious delay in achieving the national objectives set for 2030 (1.756 Mwp installed in Umbria).
Decarbonisation targets
The intermediate target for 2024 was 279 MWp, but only 234 MWp were achieved. The law aims to facilitate the achievement of the 2030 decarbonisation targets of the PNIEC, the liberation from fossil fuels according to the REPowerEU plan, the achievement of the objectives of the European Green Deal (55% reduction in emissions by 2030, zero climate impact by 2050). All this while reconciling landscape and environmental protection, promoting the rational use of energy resources through the principle of proximity between plants and demand, responding to the needs of local communities by favouring self-consumption through energy communities and combating energy poverty while promoting the competitiveness of economic sectors.
Principle of prevalence of suitability
The law defines the areas suitable for the installation of plants and the unsuitable areas defined for the protection of cultural and landscape heritage. The Regional Council may approve a list of additional suitable areas on the basis of laws/planning acts, proposed by municipalities for local self-consumption or in the event of deviation from national objectives. In suitable areas, the terms of the authorization procedures are reduced by a third and the landscape opinion is mandatory but not binding. While the buffer zones around the assets subject to protection (articles 10 and 136 of Legislative Decree 42/2004) have a width varying from 500 meters to 7 kilometers depending on the type and size of the plant. The principle of prevalence of suitability is introduced: if a project falls within both a suitable area and an unsuitable area (defined by article 4 paragraphs 2 and 3), the suitability criterion prevails. This principle does not apply to the UNESCO core zones, the Assisi-Spoleto olive grove area and to large-scale/capacity biomass/biogas/biomethane plants.
Minimization of environmental and territorial impacts
The integrated development of storage systems (daily and seasonal) is strategic to compensate for the discontinuity of RES: batteries, green hydrogen production plants, reservoirs/water basins integrated with pumped storage hydroelectric plants. For existing plants (art. 3 paragraph 1 letter e) the occupyable area can be increased by a further 30% if a storage system with a power of at least 10% of the total power is installed. Reservoirs, basins and dams (already suitable areas) are also suitable for pumped storage hydroelectric plants integrated with water systems. The law includes provisions for minimizing environmental and territorial impacts and a fair distribution of plants. Annual monitoring (as of March 31) of the installed/authorized power is foreseen to verify the achievement of the objectives and the territorial distribution. In the event of deviations, corrective measures will be adopted. The new provisions will also apply to ongoing authorization procedures.
Meetings for all citizens
With the calendar of territorial meetings aimed at all citizens, the Umbria Region opens to the discussion and sharing of a crucial and urgent law to combine the energy autonomy of our region with the protection and conservation of cultural identity. The calendar of meetings open to the public:
Perugia Thursday 8 May at 17pm at the Digipass Hall in Ponte San Giovanni, Via Pietro Cestellini
Terni Tuesday 13 May at 17pm at the Digipass Space at the Bct in Piazza della Repubblica
Orvieto Thursday 15 May at 16pm Digipass room at the New Public Library L.Fumi, Piazza Febei 1
Norcia Friday 16 May at 17pm at the Digipass Hall at the former valorisation centre, Via Solferino snc
Foligno Saturday 17 May at 10am at the Video Room at the San Domenico Auditorium, Largo F. Frezzi 8
Città di Castello Monday 19 May at 17pm at the Digipass Room at the Sala Rossi-Monti Carducci municipal library, Via XI Settembre 18
(Source: Umbria News Agency)
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