Salerno, contributions for energy saving interventions never carried out

Salerno, contributions for energy saving interventions never carried out: 4 precautionary measures

With false documents they certified the implementation of interventions aimed at energy saving, which in reality were never carried out, in order to obtain "white certificates" for a value of approximately 7,3 million euros.

This is what the Salerno Public Prosecutor's Office is accusing two "energy service companies", companies that carry out projects aimed at reducing energy consumption, based in Campagna.

As part of the investigation, the Guardia di Finanza of the Provincial Command of Salerno executed a precautionary custody order under house arrest against the legal representatives of the two companies and the de facto administrator of both companies, and the measure of the prohibition from contracting with the public administration against a partner of the two companies.

The alleged crimes are aggravated fraud, self-laundering and tax crimes. With the same provision, the investigating judge of Salerno ordered the preventive seizure of assets attributable to various companies for a value of over 10 million euros.

The fraud against the State, according to the investigations, was carried out through the so-called white certificates (TEE, energy efficiency titles), a mechanism that came into force in 2005 and is the main tool for promoting energy efficiency in Italy. The mechanism requires that electricity and gas distribution companies with more than 50 thousand end customers must reach certain energy saving targets every year, by implementing energy efficiency projects that entitle them to “white certificates” or by purchasing the certificates themselves from other operators in the sector, the so-called “energy service companies”.

The company Gestore dei servizi energia (Gse), wholly owned by the Ministry of Economy, then recognizes a value in certificates corresponding to the energy savings resulting from the interventions carried out. The mechanism ends with the annual presentation of white certificates to the Gse by the distribution companies, which mature the obtaining of a monetary tariff contribution from the Cassa per i servizi energetici e ambientale (Csea) corresponding to the market value of the "white certificates" traded on the Tee market.

According to the Salerno Public Prosecutor's Office, led by prosecutor Giuseppe Borrelli, the two "energy service companies" of Campagna had certified to GSE, through false technical-administrative documentation, the implementation of a considerable series of interventions aimed at energy saving, in reality never carried out, for a total amount of over 150 million euros.

Based on the certifications made, the two companies unduly obtained the assignment of white certificates, part of which was negotiated on the electricity market managed by Gme (Energy Markets Manager), for a value of approximately 7,3 million euros. The sums were then partly self-laundered in third-party companies and in the purchase of real estate, and partly reinvested through the complicity of third-party economic entities.