Italy's energy dependence on other countries is 74%, one of the largest in the European Union. As a result, last year's fossil fuel imports cost €53 billion. What has changed is the geography of suppliers: in a single year, the United States became Rome's third-largest energy partner, trailing only Algeria and Azerbaijan, and is the only country on which Italy relies for gas, oil, and coal. Imports of American liquefied natural gas have increased by 42%, despite much higher costs, while supplies from Qatar pass through the increasingly unpredictable Strait of Hormuz. With the prohibition on Russian imports, energy reliance has not decreased, but rather changed, with higher prices and new geopolitical threats. The production side has alternating ups and downs. The good news, including for the environment, is that solar energy has surged by 25%, electric car registrations have risen, and residential energy storage systems have topped 880,000. However, overall renewable energy deployment has slowed, with just over 7 gigawatts deployed compared to Germany's 23. Wind and solar energy have exceeded fossil fuels in 14 of the 27 European Union countries, but Italy is not among them. These are some of the facts released on Earth Day by the Foundation for Sustainable Development and its Italy for Climate research center.