Energy and industry in Italy, a long history
Newly published account of one of the key aspects of the country’s economic development
Human ingenuity and technology, but also energy. The development of the industry depends on these factors, which need to be fully understood, including their interdependencies. This is why “Super! Un secolo di energia in Italia” (A century of energy in Italy) written with great skill by Alessandro Lanza and just published is such a good read.
Lanza’s account of energy and its importance to Italian industry is based on an observation: energy has been the driving force behind modern Italy, shaping its economic and political course. Understanding the evolution of this fundamental element of the economy and of progress is indeed important for understanding the evolution of the industrial system, its culture of production and its prospects for the future.
Lanza tells the story of energy in Italy, from the first oil explorations to the rise of the major national companies, through the nationalisations of the 1960s and the market crises. All this in the context of how the energy sector has been intertwined with international equilibrim, even helping to define our development model.
‘Super!’ traces a century of profound changes, explaining how Italy went from being totally dependent on imports to playing a key role in global strategies.
But Alessandro Lanza’s book goes even further. Readers will discover the key moments in a history that has seen the ambitious visions of leading figures, the nationalisation of electricity, the oil shocks, the privatisations of the 1990s and then the long transition to a liberalised market. There is no shortage of analysis of current events that looks at climate change, new energy alliances, the increasingly central role of renewables and the race to decarbonise.
Reading Alessandro Lanza’s book is a useful exercise for those who want to better understand one of the crucial aspects of economic development, both yesterday and today.
Super! Un secolo di energia in Italia
Alessandro Lanza
Luiss University press, 2025
Newly published account of one of the key aspects of the country’s economic development
Human ingenuity and technology, but also energy. The development of the industry depends on these factors, which need to be fully understood, including their interdependencies. This is why “Super! Un secolo di energia in Italia” (A century of energy in Italy) written with great skill by Alessandro Lanza and just published is such a good read.
Lanza’s account of energy and its importance to Italian industry is based on an observation: energy has been the driving force behind modern Italy, shaping its economic and political course. Understanding the evolution of this fundamental element of the economy and of progress is indeed important for understanding the evolution of the industrial system, its culture of production and its prospects for the future.
Lanza tells the story of energy in Italy, from the first oil explorations to the rise of the major national companies, through the nationalisations of the 1960s and the market crises. All this in the context of how the energy sector has been intertwined with international equilibrim, even helping to define our development model.
‘Super!’ traces a century of profound changes, explaining how Italy went from being totally dependent on imports to playing a key role in global strategies.
But Alessandro Lanza’s book goes even further. Readers will discover the key moments in a history that has seen the ambitious visions of leading figures, the nationalisation of electricity, the oil shocks, the privatisations of the 1990s and then the long transition to a liberalised market. There is no shortage of analysis of current events that looks at climate change, new energy alliances, the increasingly central role of renewables and the race to decarbonise.
Reading Alessandro Lanza’s book is a useful exercise for those who want to better understand one of the crucial aspects of economic development, both yesterday and today.
Super! Un secolo di energia in Italia
Alessandro Lanza
Luiss University press, 2025