Influx into Italian electricity

Interest in Italian power trading has picked up lately, according to market participants. Nonetheless, the market remains dogged by challenges, including a lack of exchange liquidity and excess supply in the midst of an economic slump. Gillian Carr reports

Italy is not Europe’s biggest or most liquid power market, but it is growing. Recently, the market has been seeing an influx of interest from financial market participants, with growing opportunities in the over-the-counter forwards market drawing the attention of financial players. Banks such as Barclays, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America Merrill Lynch have all been pursuing Italy more vigorously than they have in the past, according to market sources. More generally, European power market