• Italy and the Holy See agreed to develop the 430-hectare Santa Maria Galeria site north of Rome into a solar farm designed to meet the Vatican’s full electricity needs, with any excess power provided to the local community.
• The project preserves agricultural use and minimizes environmental impact; the Vatican will be exempt from Italian import taxes on panels but will not receive the financial incentives available to Italian residents. Italy can count the field toward EU clean energy targets.
• Estimated cost is under €100 million ($114 million). Following Italian parliamentary approval, contracts will be tendered.

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