Sardinia is resisting Italy's push to build 6.2 GW of new wind and solar capacity, driven by centuries of colonial exploitation and distrust of outside developers. A grassroots petition gathered 210,000 signatures, leading to an 18-month moratorium on renewable construction. The resistance stems from historical exploitation by empires, mainland Italy, and industrial companies that left behind unemployment and toxic contamination. Potential paths forward include building renewables on abandoned industrial sites, community-owned energy projects, and the new Tyrrhenian Link HVDC submarine cable connecting Sardinia to Sicily and the Italian mainland. Experts warn that top-down energy policy without local engagement risks repeating the same failures across Europe and beyond.
