Italian court partially repeals decree on suitable areas, agriPV ban

The Regional Administrative Court in Lazio (TAR Lazio) ruled against delegating powers to regions due to the unconstitutionality of a Ministerial Decree. The court highlighted issues with excessive delegation, such as granting regions the authority to establish buffer zones around protected assets. This ruling was welcomed by Patrizio Donati of Terrawatt, who noted that it upholds national permitting legislation and prevents regions from imposing stricter rules. The lack of transitional legislation for ongoing authorization procedures was also criticized in the ruling.

TAR Lazio also questioned the constitutionality of a 2024 agricultural decree that banned ground-mounted solar PV installations on farmland. This decision is seen as a positive development for the Italian renewables industry, providing more certainty for investors. The review of the agricultural decree by the government in the next 60 days will determine potential changes.

In Q1 of 2025, Italy added 1.4GW of solar PV, with utility-scale installations accounting for nearly half of the new capacity. The country has a total of 38.5GW of solar PV, with the commercial and industrial sector leading in installed capacity. The residential solar market has stabilized post the Superbonus scheme, showing consistent demand due to lower system costs and increased awareness of the benefits of solar energy. Lazio, Lombardy, and Apulia were the regions that added the most solar capacity in Q1 2025.