With elections now barely two weeks away, two Italian economists have searched through statements of party programs to see what they say about energy and the environment. In general Caterina Miriello and Antonio Sileo, writing for Lavoce.info, found lots of pious wishes and little discussion of financing. Here's my summary of their very useful summary:
Partito Democratico (PD). Befitting a party of the left, energy and environmental matters appear in the context of jutice and equality. The PD says Italians should have equal access to "common goods," which includes energy. Statements about "sustainable development" include a collection of proposals for supporting innovative small domestic businesses.
Sinistra, Ecologia e Libertà . Nicchi Vendola's party program has a lot to say about developing renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency, but is silent on financing.
Popolo della Libertà . Berlusconi may offer the greatest number of pious wishes, some of which appear inconsistent, as in encouraging utility companies to invest in new technologies, but promising to reduce household energy bills.
Movimento 5 Stelle. M5S's program may be the most detailed. Generally it proposes to meet new energy needs through improvements in energy efficiency. And the program spells out how this could be done, including financial proposals. But Miriello and Sileo are concerned about the numbers; they don't seem to have any authoritative sources.
Agenda Monti. Monti's group has relatively little to say about energy and environmental matters. The program mentions energy from waste materials, without including many details. It also stresses an idea that apparently has been discussed for a while -- that of making Italy the entry and distribution point for imported natural gas. Miriello and Sileo aren't sure what the financial markets think about the idea these days.
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