This report presents the updated and improved environmental impact estimates according to the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology of the current (2020) Italian electricity mix and the 2030 mix scenarios (scenarios defined in the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), Green Deal scenario and Fit For 55 scenario). The environmental impact estimates are integrated with the assessment of environmental externalities.

In LCA, the background data were updated to version 3.8 of the Ecoinvent database. This update found a number of inconsistencies in the datasets in Ecoinvent, which was followed by a closer analysis of the contribution of critical processes for each impact category. This was followed by updating the database of EMAS-registered power generation facilities to improve, detail and update the emission factors.

The ‘COVID’ year of 2020 was a very special year in many respects, and this also affected power generation. The contraction in climate-altering gas emissions per 1 kWh of mix recorded in this year (-8% compared to 2019) is related more to endogenous causes than to a structural change in the Italian electricity system.

2030 scenarios confirm a reduction in climate-altering gas emissions that implies a reduction in impacts in all other impact categories except resource consumption.

The relationship between decarbonization and resource consumption is confirmed in this study, and it is also noted that it is subject to variability: the database update and change of method for assessing impacts made this year revealed how critical the modeling of resource consumption can be, both as pertains to the inventory and as pertains to impact assessment, highlighting the need for future investigation.

The assessment of externalities confirmed the decisive contribution of climate-changing emissions to the environmental cost of electricity production, in line with the main objective of European and Italian energy scenarios, which see the reduction of CO2 equivalent emissions as the main effort. It follows that the external cost of electricity production decreases significantly, from 0.0421€2020 in 2020 to 0.0175€2020 for the FF55 scenario in 2030.