ITALIA SOLARE has urged the Sicilian regional government to accelerate pending authorisation procedures for renewable energy plants and energy storage systems, warning that delays could cause the region to miss investment opportunities linked to the FER X and MACSE mechanisms.

More than a month after a meeting held on 24 July at the Sicilian Regional Assembly, the association said that no concrete measures have yet been implemented to deliver the acceleration discussed during the meeting. The session brought together representatives of the Sicilian government, renewable energy and storage industry associations, and environmental organisations.

According to ITALIA SOLARE, the situation is becoming increasingly critical as deadlines linked to FER X, which supports the development of new renewable generation capacity, and MACSE, which concerns energy storage systems, approach.

Procedures remain stalled

The July meeting highlighted that a number of authorisation procedures had already completed a substantial part of their administrative review but remained stalled at the final stage.

The association also pointed to what it considers insufficient staffing at the Energy Department of the Sicilian Region, given the significant workload currently handled by its offices. ITALIA SOLARE said strengthening the department had emerged as one of the needs identified during the July discussions.

One potential solution discussed at the meeting was the role of the Technical-Scientific Commission. According to the association, the commission has previously contributed substantially to the examination of authorisation procedures and could provide immediate support to the Energy Department in processing applications that remain pending.

ITALIA SOLARE is therefore calling for the solutions discussed in July to be implemented quickly, including organisational arrangements that would allow the Technical-Scientific Commission and regional offices to work with adequate resources and tools.

Industry calls for certainty on timelines

“Back in July, we saw positive signals and a willingness to quickly identify a solution. Today, however, time is becoming a determining factor,” said Paolo Rocco Viscontini, president of ITALIA SOLARE.

He said FER X and MACSE represent concrete investment opportunities for Sicily, but stressed that developers need authorisation procedures to be completed within an adequate timeframe in order to participate in the mechanisms.

“We are not asking for shortcuts or a reduction in controls,” Viscontini said. “We are asking for applications to be examined and the relevant decrees finalised, unlocking projects that have been stalled for too long.”

He added that the Technical-Scientific Commission had demonstrated in the past that it could make an important contribution, arguing that its full involvement could be one of the fastest ways to support an Energy Department facing a high workload.

Risk of losing investment opportunities

ITALIA SOLARE stressed that the issue goes beyond individual project developers. Failure to complete authorisations within the required timeframe could result in lost investment opportunities in Sicily and delay the deployment of new photovoltaic and energy storage capacity in the region.

The association has reiterated its willingness to engage with the Presidency of the Sicilian Region, the relevant departments, the Technical-Scientific Commission and the Energy Department. It is calling for the indications that emerged from the July meeting to now be followed by operational decisions and concrete results.