Huge electricity consumption drop in Italy due to COVID-19

According to the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) data on week 12 covering 16-20 March, Italy’s electricity consumption saw a 19.5 % decrease to an hourly average of 28.7 GW compared to the same week last year. Due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic with Italy being one of the hardest hit with a 19.5% demand drop last week, electricity consumption in a number of European countries has seen dramatic falls.
Consumption stood at an hourly average of 35.2 GW in the same week of 2019.
Measures to contain the virus including the closure of shops, facilities, restaurants and shopping malls lowered economic activity and led to a dramatic drop in power consumption. Furthermore, a number of countries that brought in lockdown rules to prevent the spread of the virus including curfews in Italy, and the limiting of free movement of people in France and Spain also impacted electricity consumption.