I modelli e gli strumenti della programmazione energetica: un’analisi comparata

The chapter analyses the Italian Energy Strategy presented in 2017 and the draft proposal of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan sent to the European Commission in 2018. The concept of legal credibility is developed to assess the prospects for their implementation. After reviewing the non-legal literature on the credibility of inter-temporal choices, the chapter focuses on some components of the institutional context which could increase or decrease the legal credibility of the Strategy and the Plan: whether the implementation is delegated to independent bodies, how coordination between the national and sub-national levels takes place, which measures allow to absorb the distributive impact of the low-carbon transition, according to which procedures the revision of the Strategy and the Plan should take place, how public participation is ensured, which sanctions are available in case of non-compliance with the targets. A comparative analysis along these dimensions is carried out. The chapter argues that the lack of innovative institutional solutions in the Italian Strategy and Plan might undermine its credibility and effectiveness in the long-term.