Public Subsidies, Renewable Energies and Rent-Seeking Behaviour: The Case of Sardinia

The energy and ecological transition demand a significant increase in electricity generation from renewable sources in Italy, as happening in other countries, to align with the EU ambitious decarbonization targets. In this context, the mediterranean island of Sardinia has been chosen by multinational corporations and political actors as a future energy hub, triggering a massive number of grid connection requests, given the generous structure of public incentives. Local communities were basically neglected in the process of determining the best solutions to enact an effective transition while respecting the landscape, forestry and cultural heritage. The regulatory framework being implemented and the political-administrative context suggest that investors may be engaging in opportunistic behaviors and that a regulatory capture process has already occurred and is still ongoing at global and local level.