Italy regulator probes Enel for grid link-up delays

MILAN, March 17 (Reuters) - Italy's energy regulator, AEEG, said on Monday it has opened a formal inquiry into failures or delays to connect renewable energy generators to grid by a distribution unit of Italy's biggest utility Enel (ENEI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research).

If such breaches of service rules were confirmed, Enel Distribuzione would risk legal sanctions, AEEG said in a statement without specifying the sanctions.

AEEG said it has proposed for public consultations a series of measures aimed at supporting renewable energy producers, including new regulations on grid connection.

The regulator has also set an average annual price of renewable energy produced in 2007 at 67.12 euros per megawatt hour. It would be used to calculate a reference price for trading the so-called green certificates -- Italy's national mechanism of carbon offsets.

(Reporting by Svetlana Kovalyova)