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Clean energy for EU islands
Regulatory informationPermits and authorisation processes

Site selection process

Abbreviated form of legal source

  • D.P.R. 380/01
  • DL 42/04
  • DM 10/09/2010

Description of the process

First step in finding a suitable location for a renewable energy plant is to request a town planning designation certificate (Certificato di destinazione urbanistica) from the municipality's technical office, which provides information on the permitted use of a site. (D.P.R. 380/01) This must be issued within 30 days after the request is made. In the case of ground mounted solar PV the municipalities have the possibility to designate suitable (aree idonee) and unsuitable areas (aree non idonee) which is produced by regional or local Superintendencies (D.Lgs. 42/2004) with recommendations from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism (MiBAC) (§ 17.1. Annex DM 10/09/2010) as they have the right to reject a project in the administrative process due to landscape protection.
For wind power, the ‘Regulatory plans for the installation of wind power plants’ (Piani Regolatori per l'installazione di Impianti Eolici) specify the unsuitable areas which are also determined by the municipal administrations.
For both ground-mounted PV and onshore wind, the lease or purchase of the land on which the plant is to be installed is required.

Competent authority  

Local municipalities have most of the decision-making powers along with MiBAC

Technologies

Wind energy onshore

Relevant

Wind energy offshore
Solar energy

Relevant

Solar Thermal
Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy
Aerothermal
Hydrothermal
Hydro-power

Relevant

Biogas
Biogas
Biomass