Cantonal parliament approves energy plan, drops solar panel mandate

The Ticino cantonal parliament (Gran Consiglio) has approved the new Cantonal Energy and Climate Plan (PECC), the first update in more than ten years. The vote came after a debate that began on Monday afternoon and stretched over several days.

The approved text is not the one presented two years ago by the Council of State. The original project, described as "audace" ("bold") when it was unveiled, had been signed by the then head of the Department of Territory, Claudio Zali. In the chamber, however, it was not Zali who defended the plan on the government's behalf, but his government colleague Raffaele De Rosa — Zali having recently been stripped of duties and responsibilities linked to the department.

Before the final vote, the environment and energy committee had already softened the original project, reaching a compromise that left several political camps dissatisfied. Around forty amendments then reached the floor of parliament, submitted by political groups across the spectrum, from left to right.

Solar panel obligation dropped

With a unified vote from the centre-right, two of the plan's most debated provisions were struck out, both related to photovoltaic panels. The obligation to install panels when renovating the roof of a home was dropped. So was the provision that, by 2045, would have required large buildings over 300 square metres to cover at least half their surface with panels.

Two tools that, in the plan's original version, were meant to speed up solar energy production in Ticino, thus remain in place only on a voluntary basis. It remains to be seen how much this choice will affect the achievement of cantonal climate targets, and who will bear the costs of the energy transition if new construction and large properties are no longer the first to contribute.

Debate over the amendments dragged on longer than expected, pushing back to the following day the Council of State's answers to ten parliamentary questions. Seven of these concern matters linked to Claudio Zali.