The southern Basilicata region of Italy with a population of 600,000 people, which Global Offset Experts has learned, consumes over 3,000 GW hours of electricity annually, has announced plans to become self-sufficient in power supplies by increasing their renewable energy capacity by more than five times its current level to 1,600 megawatts by 2020.

Authorities for the region, which currently supplies half its energy needs with its own output generated primarily at gas and oil-fueled power facilities told Global Offset Experts sources that they have a new energy plan in place for the region as a whole.

"We want to arrive at self-sufficiency and go beyond it. The new energy plan bets on renewable energy," the regions President Vito De Filippo recently told reporters at the regional capital of Potenza.

De Fillipo went on to say that the new plan will see sunny, windy Basilicata adding 1,000 MW of installed wind power generation capacity to the existing 200 MW.

The region is to increase its solar power generation capacity to 300 MW from the present 60-70 MW according to Massimo Scuderi, Director General of Societa Energetica Lucana, an energy firm which is fully owned by the region.

Global Offset Experts has also learned that the new plan includes the development of hydropower and biomass-fueled power generation facilities.

The region also intends investing US$52.35 million on incentives for renewable energy, over US$100 million to increase energy efficiency and almost US$40 million for the research of innovative energy technologies.