Hydroelectricity in Italy

Lombardy, Piedmont and Trentino-Alto Adige contributed for almost 60% of the total energy production in 2010.

Since the Italian peninsula is relatively recent geological formation, it lacks commercial coal deposits and oil, so hydroelectricity was the first source widely used in Italy to produce electric energy,[4] and remained the main source at least until the 1960s.

Hydroelectric energy played a main role in the Italian industrialization since late 19th century.

[2] Since the 1960s the share of hydroelectricity decreased constantly due to the increase in energy needs and almost unchanged total capacity.

All the favorable places have already been taken: this poses a limit on the construction of new plants of relevant capacity in terms of technical, economical and environmental problems.

Old hydroelectric plant, now museum, in Cedegolo , Val Camonica
Electric power production in Italy from 1883 to 2012: hydroelectricity (in blue) remained almost the same since the 1950s.
Chiotas Dam at Entracque
The lower reservoir of Edolo pumped storage plant