2. Where does the energy we use come from?

The first distinction on electricity sources must be made between non-renewable and renewable. Non-renewable energy sources are so called because they constitute a limited pool that is exhausted through use: these are sources such as fossil and nuclear fuels, whose impact on the environment is negative. Currently, fossil fuels are the most widely used source of electricity: according to ISPRA in Italy until 2008, around two thirds of all electricity produced came from fossil fuels. However, in recent decades there has been a greater push for a gradual transition towards renewable energy sources: these are called renewables because they are inexhaustible and whose renewal - unlike non-renewable sources - takes a very short time. 

^{Figure 3 - The percentage of fossil fuel energy used in Italy, ISPRA (2019)}

It should be remembered that the combustion of fossil fuels contributes to the increase in the concentration of CO2, a component that contributes to climate change and thus to the rise in global temperatures. According to data released by the European Union, the average daily electrical energy demand for a European citizen is 27 megawatt hours (MwH) per year, and if we consider that approximately 77% of this consumption is from fossil fuels, it is possible to understand how much of an impact the expenditure of electrical energy can have on the planet.

The main renewable sources are:

According to ISPRA, renewable energy sources in Italy enjoyed slow growth between 1990 and 2007, constituting only shares between 4.4% and 9%. The acceleration occurred from 2007 to 2019 when, on the other hand, 19% of gross domestic consumption from renewable sources was reached.

^{Figure 4 - Classification of sources used for electricity production in Italy, ISPRA (2019)}