Italy bans solar on agricultural land

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The government rules constitute a complete ban on ground-mounted solar PV projects on land classed as agricultural. Image: Enel Green Power.

The Italian government has banned solar PV installations on agricultural land, in a move that the nation’s solar trade association said would cost Italy €60 billion (US$64.5 billion).

The government rules constitute a complete ban on ground-mounted solar PV projects on land classed as agricultural. The policy is intended to preserve Italy’s productive agricultural land and “put an end to the wild installation of ground-mounted photovoltaics,” according to agriculture minister Francesco Lollobrigida.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Lollobrigida reportedly added that the installation of solar on agricultural land has the potential to undermine the tax provisions in place in Italy for agricultural projects.

The government confirmed that projects already undergoing approvals will be protected from the new ban. The new laws are subject to approval from both Italian houses of parliament, which can amend the decision, but the decision has already drawn criticism from the Italian solar sector.

Italia Solare, the national trade body for the solar industry, called the decision “a serious mistake” and said that it would cost Italy approximately €60 billion (US$64.6 billion) in lost private investment and tax revenues.

It added that the government’s stated aim of around 50GW of solar PV deployed by 2030 would be achievable “without any significant damage to agriculture and the landscape,” and that around 50% of this target could be met with just 1% of currently unoccupied agricultural land.

“Agriculture and photovoltaics can coexist very well with crops between the rows of photovoltaic modules,” said the trade body.

According to Reuters, energy minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said that the new legislation would not endanger Italy’s solar deployment targets.

In recent years, Italy’s solar market has been dominated by residential and rooftop solar installations due to the government’s Superbonus incentives. However, utility-scale and ground-mounted deployments are expected to increase as these incentives are rolled back; Cristiano Spillati, managing director of Italian solar developer Limes, told PV Tech Premium last month that he expects to see “almost three times the amount of utility-scale solar as in 2023” come online this year.

Read Next

October 3, 2025
Renewables developer Madison Energy Infrastructure has bought the US distributed generation assets of NextEra Energy Resources.
Premium
October 2, 2025
Australia's solar sector delivered a strong September performance in the National Electricity Market (NEM) as the country entered spring, with combined solar PV generation reaching 3,933GWh - a 17.83% increase from August's 3,338GWh.
October 2, 2025
FRV Australia has announced the completion of its largest solar project to date, the 300MW Walla Walla Solar Farm in New South Wales.
October 1, 2025
The insurance industry must adapt to evolving risks to head off a 'protection gap' that could undermine the global green energy transition.
October 1, 2025
Italy has released the results of its latest solar auction, which includes 273 expressions of interest for a combined capacity of 3,161MW.
October 1, 2025
Engie Australia's 250MW Goorambat East Solar Farm has registered with AEMO, marking the project’s readiness for the commissioning phase.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland