Italy runs the risk of using up its own fossil fuel reserves within the next 20 years and becoming even more dependent on imports to meet its energy needs, the head of the country's power giant, Enel, said. "Eighty percent of the fossil fuels used by Italy come from abroad," Chief Executive Fulvio Conti told a news conference on Saturday.
"Within 20 years, it will be totally dependent on imports." Speaking at the close of a meeting hosted by the Aspen Institute, Conti said Enel planned to triple its investments in renewable energy and adopt new technologies to use fossil fuels in a less polluting way.
Conti said he was sceptical of the return of nuclear energy to Italy. "Italy is excessively crowded and it would be difficult to find a site to build a plant," he said.