Panel 1
Gabriele Bellabarba, Maria Logorelli
The indicator reports, for each autonomous region/province and for the different voltage levels, the kilometers of existing electricity lines, in absolute value and in relation to the territorial surface area. As regards the consistency of the national electricity grid, broken down by voltage, the information is that held by ARPA/APPA and contained in the ISPRA CEM Observatory. Between 2023 and 2024, an overall stable picture is observed characterized by very slight increases for all types of power lines treated: 40-150 kV power lines (+ 1.3%), 220 kV power lines (+ 0.7%) and 380 kV power lines (+ 1.4%). The substantial stationarity of the aforementioned power lines reveals a positive trend regarding this type of electromagnetic source since, especially for 40-150 kV power lines, it needs to branch out in urban contexts and, therefore, with a greater presence of population. However, this type of electromagnetic source must exist in order to adequately provide all the necessary services to the population, however, the existing one has long been subjected to intense control activity with ad hoc regulations, specifically designed to protect the population from short and long-term effects caused by the presence of electric and magnetic fields generated by power lines.
The indicator reports, for each autonomous region/province and for the different voltage levels, the kilometers of existing electricity lines, in absolute value and in relation to the territorial surface area.
Quantify the main sources of pressure on the environment regarding low frequency fields (ELF).
The art. 4 of Framework Law 36/2001 on protection from exposure to electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields provides for the establishment of a national register of fixed and mobile sources of electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields and of the territorial areas involved, and of regional registers created in coordination with the national register. On 13 February 2014, the ministerial decree establishing the cadastre in question was issued following a process of comparison between ISPRA and the ARPA/APPA, which began several years ago, in order to define and share the technical specifications for the creation of the cadastre itself. The National Electromagnetic land registry works in coordination with the various Regional Electromagnetic land registry and regional projects financed by MASE are in the launch phase according to the provisions of DD n.72/2016 relating to the creation/management of Regional Electromagnetic land registries. This will certainly lead to a positive impulse for the implementation of the same and consequently of the National Electromagnetic land registry.
Panel 2
ISPRA, Environmental data yearbook, various years
ISPRA, various years, Thematic reports
There are numerous critical issues that characterize the retrieval of information relating to the plants in question, the relative spatial and temporal coverage and the quality of the data, first of all the failure to issue the decree on the methods of entering data into the National Electromagnetic Cadastre relating to ELF sources. Other factors can be found in the poor efficiency of data collection tools at local level, lack of human and financial resources dedicated to this activity.
Synergistic actions by the subjects involved in trying to support the flow of information with suitable regulatory tools and with activities aimed at analyzing the critical issues mentioned above in order to shed light on the problems and propose solutions to give greater uniformity and completeness of the data at a national level.
Data quality assessment
Electromagnetic Fields Observatory
ISTAT
9/20
2024
Indicator assessment
Count of km of lines and normalized ratio of these with the regional surface area.
Considering the electricity lines with voltages of 40-150 kV, 220 kV and 380 kV for the regions that provided data updated to 2024 (Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta, Lombardy, Autonomous Province of Trento, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Tuscany, Umbria and Molise), we observe a presence on the territory equal to 73.4%, 14.3% and 12.3% respectively compared to total mileage of power lines (Table 1). Power lines with a voltage of 40-150 kV are those which, despite emitting electric and magnetic fields of lower intensity than 220 kV and 380 kV, have greater critical issues from the point of view of interaction with the urban environment or neighboring areas. Their greater presence in the territory depends on the electrical characteristics of the line and the need to branch out in urban contexts.
Between 2023 and 2024, considering only the regions that provided updated data for both years (Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta, Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Tuscany, Umbria and Molise), an overall stationary picture is observed characterized by very slight increases for all types of electricity lines treated: 40-150 kV electricity lines (+ 1.3%), 220 kV electricity lines kV (+ 0.7%) and 380 kV power lines (+ 1.4%) (Table 2).
Data
Table 1: Length (L) of power lines, differentiated by voltage level and by region, expressed in absolute terms and normalized to regional surface area (S); number of primary substations and number of secondary electrical substations (2024).
ISPRA processing based on ARPA/APPA data (EMF Observatory) and ISTAT data (update as of 01/01/2025).
a The Italy total refers to regions for which the data are complete and up to date;
b Data not updated;
c Power line length normalized to regional surface area (km of line per 100 km² of territory);
nd: data not available;
*: the data do not cover the entire region;
d 2024 update provided by Inrete Distribuzione, Ireti, RFI, and e-Distribuzione. All information on the national transmission grid (RTN: EHV and HV lines and primary installations) has no longer been provided by Terna, as it has fallen under the responsibility of the National Electrical Register managed by ISPRA since 2019.
e Data relating to HV and EHV power lines were acquired from Terna in 2021. Data on the length (km) of MV power lines were revised by adding information on MV lines for which the Salerno Provincial Department issued a favorable opinion in 2024.
Table 2: Comparison of the length (L) of power lines, differentiated by voltage level and by region, expressed in absolute terms and normalized to regional surface area (S), for the years 2023 and 2024.
ISPRA processing based on ARPA/APPA data (EMF Observatory) and ISTAT data (update as of 01/01/2025).
a The Italy total refers to regions for which the data are complete and up to date;
b Data not updated;
c Power line length normalized to regional surface area (km of line per 100 km² of territory);
nd: data not available;
*: the data do not cover the entire region;
d Partial update: 2023 data provided by Inrete Distribuzione and RFI. No response was received to the information request addressed to ENEL concerning MV power line data. Data relating to 40–150 kV lines were provided only by the Salerno Provincial Department and refer to projects for the construction of renewable energy source (RES) installations. Data acquired from RFI and data derived from the “List of HV/MV sections of e-Distribuzione for which a reversal of energy flow was detected for at least 1% and 5% of the time during the year 2022”, published by Enel in 2023;
f 2024 update provided by Inrete Distribuzione, Ireti, RFI, and e-Distribuzione. All information on the national transmission grid (RTN: EHV and HV lines and primary installations) has no longer been provided by Terna, as it has been included in the National Electrical Register under the responsibility of ISPRA since 2019;
g Data relating to HV and EHV power lines were acquired from Terna in 2021. Data on the length (km) of MV power lines were revised by adding information on MV lines for which the Salerno Provincial Department issued a favorable opinion in 2024.
Power lines: territorial development (2024).
ISPRA processing based on ARPA/APPA data (EMF Observatory)
The number of primary stations/booths and secondary cabins were not considered as almost no region currently has this information available. As regards information on the consistency of the national electricity grid, broken down by voltage, the data reported in Table 1 are those held by ARPA/APPA and contained in the ISPRA Electromagnetic Fields Observatory. The information was updated by nine autonomous regions/provinces (Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta, Lombardy, Autonomous Province of Trento, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Tuscany, Umbria and Molise). The substantial stationarity of the aforementioned power lines reveals a positive trend regarding this type of electromagnetic source since, especially for 40-150 kV power lines, it needs to branch out in urban contexts and, therefore, with a greater presence of population. However, this type of electromagnetic source must exist in order to adequately provide all the necessary services to the population, however, the existing one has long been subjected to intense control activity with ad hoc regulations, specifically designed to protect the population from short and long-term effects caused by the presence of electric and magnetic fields generated by power lines. However, this type of electromagnetic source must exist in order to adequately provide all the necessary services to the population, however, the existing one has long been subjected to intense control activity with ad hoc regulations, specifically designed to protect the population from short and long-term effects caused by the presence of electric and magnetic fields generated by power lines.