The Regional Council approved (27 votes in favor and 23 against) the proposal by the Democratic Party and Five Star Movement amending the law on "suitable and unsuitable areas" for the installation of renewable energy plants.
The proposal allows for photovoltaic systems to be installed on rooftops in residential areas and industrial areas, but not before a regulation —to be issued within 90 days of the law's entry into force—will govern the application and implementation procedures.
In the meantime, during these three months, "authorization requests that fall within areas not included among the eligible areas cannot be processed, nor can new requests be submitted."
This part of the bill was criticized by the center-right, which called it a "mini-moratorium" that would "create procedural stagnation and a systemic paralysis that penalizes families and businesses," arguing that "this suspension exposes the Region to a very high risk of new state litigation."
The majority has clarified the objectives of the law: "To specify the conditions for the construction of systems in urban environments, on rooftops, in already transformed areas, and in industrial zones, and to overcome the main interpretative misunderstanding that had held back urban development." The intention is to make the €678 million allocated by the law for suitable areas more readily accessible to families and businesses.
But in general, the opposition has contested the appropriateness of discussing the amendment to a law (the Suitable Areas) challenged by the Government and on which the Constitutional Court will rule shortly (perhaps as early as this week).
Representatives of the Pratobello 24 Committees were also present in the gallery during the discussion of the text, reiterating the need to discuss the popular initiative proposal signed by approximately 211,000 citizens.
