Geothermal

Italy is where geothermal energy was used for the first time for industrial purposes, and the country remains one of the leading producers of geothermal electricity.

More than a century has passed since 4 July 1904, when, in Larderello (Tuscany), five light bulbs were lit by generating electricity from steam drawn from underground.
Since that day, the history of geothermal power has become a source of pride for the Italian power generation industry, as well as for Enel Green Power, which currently manages 31 geothermal power plants in Val di Cecina and on Mt. Amiata (Tuscany), with more than 8,700 district heating users, geothermal heat for 25 hectares of greenhouses, and power generation of more than 5 billion kWh per year, equal to the average consumption of 2 million Italian households.

Further development of geothermal power generation in Italy is an important part of Enel Green Power's strategy. We are also committed to strengthening our undisputed world leadership in geothermal energy through new projects abroad.

Of particular note are our efforts in the United States, where Enel Green Power already operates 70 MW and is developing new projects with a capacity of approximately 150 MW. A number of investment programs are also being developed in several countries in Central and South America. In Chile, for example, we are prospecting on two concessions with a potential capacity of more than 100 MW.