Italy's main power company warns of blackouts

ROME -- - Italy's largest power company warned that the country could be hit by intermittent power cuts, with the national grid operator unable to keep up with a surge in demand due to a heat wave.=

Italy suffered power cuts across the country late last month when citizens overloaded the system, using air conditioners and fans in far greater numbers than previously. That was the first time in over 20 years that the national grid operator had ordered such a cut, some 5 percent of national demand.

Power company Enel SpA said in a statement recently that the national grid operator had warned it to plan for more intermittent power cuts from 0700 GMT to 1600 GMT.

The national grid operator has repeatedly said that power demand is growing faster than supply and that imported electricity wouldn't make up for insufficient production in the long term.

Industry Minister Antonio Marzano has said that a new emergency decree might be approved by the government to boost power production.

The Italian government passed an emergency decree earlier this month to allow electricity companies to soften environmental limits on coastal power plants for 75 days in order to boost output and stave off blackouts.

The June blackouts happened after French power giant Electricite de France told the Italian grid operator it wouldn't be sending an expected 1,100 megawatts across the Alps. Enel is in talks with Electricite de France that could eventually lead to its purchase of more capacity in France, the source of 16 percent of its power today.