Reshaping the electricity supply industry

Cigre's Electra magazine published this interview with Alfonso Limbruno, CEO of ENEL S.p.A. To put the interview in perspective, this article begins with a brief overview of ENEL and a biographical sketch of Alfonso Limbruno, and also carries comments from Y. Thomas, secretary general of CIGRE. ENEL is a vertically integrated nationwide electricity company engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity, predominantly in Italy. ENEL's share accounts for approximately 80 percent of Italian electricity demand. Measured by amount of electricity sold, ENEL is the third largest electric utility in the OECD countries and the second largest electric utility in Europe. Measured by revenues, ENEL is one of the largest companies in Italy, with a turnover of Lit. 37,632 billion. In 1995, ENEL served approximately 28.5 million customers and sold 211,607 GWh of electricity. ENEL's gross installed generating capacity at December 31, 1995 was 55,906 MW. Alfonso Limbruno made all his career in the Italian electricity supply industry (ESI) and has had quite a unique experience: he went through a complete cycle of change of the ESI in his country, the nationalization of the sector in 1962 with the merging in ENEL of over 1,200 undertakings, and now the privatization of the company, along with a far reaching restructuring of the industry. He was appointed CEO of ENEL in August 1992