The Challenge of Wind Power in Italy: Is the Answer Blowing in the Wind?

Abstract: The latest years have seen the worldwide interest around wind power increasing significantly. Italy as well has joined this global movement. But does the Italian wind power industry have the capabilities for a substantial and sustainable future growth? This paper analyzes the Italian wind power sector using a slightly modified Porter’s diamond model in a comparative analysis with the Spanish one, to investigate the different fortune of this industry in the two countries and how could Italy learn from its Iberian cousin. The study suggests that a well structured national R&D program, the use of feed-in tariffs and the coincidence of Spain’s industrialization phase with the birth of a national wind power industry have been the main reasons behind Spanish wind power success. In Italy, instead, the absence of these factors foreshadows an uncertain future for the wind power sector.