Impact on Electricity Consumption and Market Pricing of Energy and Ancillary Services during Pandemic of COVID-19 in Italy

Emilio Ghiani, Marco Galici, Mario Mureddu and Fabrizio Pilo
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Emilio Ghiani: Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Marco Galici: Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Mario Mureddu: Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Fabrizio Pilo: Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 13, 1-19

Abstract: At the moment of writing, in Italy, there is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Its outbreak is leading to severe global socioeconomic disruptions impacting on all economic sectors from tourism, industry and the tertiary sector, up to the operational and opening of public offices, the closure of schools and the organization of families. Measures adopted by the Italian government to deal with the COVID-19 emergency have had direct effects both on people’s daily lives and on the activity of most industrial and commercial production companies. These changes have been unequivocally reflected also on the Italian electricity system, which has shown unprecedented behavior in terms of both energy consumption and volume—and subsequently, in the observed share of renewable and conventional production technologies. The goal of this study is to show the impact on the power industry of all the restrictions and lockdown of the activities in Italy and to discuss the effects of COVID-19 outbreak on the bulk power system and the entire electricity sector. In particular, the consequences on load profiles, electricity consumption and market prices in Italy, including the environmental aspects, are examined.

Keywords: pandemic COVID-19; bulk power system; electricity consumption; load profiles; day-ahead market (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (62)

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