Energy production from biogas in the Italian countryside: policies and organizational models

In recentyears,Italyhaswitnessedaproliferationofagriculturalbiogasplants.Thisarticlearguesthat institutional factorshaveplayedanimportantroleintheirdiffusion.Itdescribesthestateandevolution of agriculturalbiogasinItaly,andtheninvestigatestheextenttowhichinstitutionalpressureshavebeen influential inshapingorganizationalmodelsofbiogasproduction.It finds thatthedominanceofone particular organizationalmodelistheresultofanisomorphicprocessinwhichamonopolisticmarket, legal structures,andsubsidiesplayarole.Theprevalenceofthisorganizationalmodel,however,doesnot lead totheeffectiveuseofbiogasproduction,andfurthermoreitresultsinlowenvironmentalefficiency. For amoresustainabledevelopmentofbioenergy,Italianpolicy-makersshouldreformtheexisting institutional frameworkbyreorganizingsubsidies,liberalizingthemanagementofgasgrids,and involvingfarmersinlocalprojects.