Enel (BIT:ENEL, NASDAQ:ENLAY) an abbreviated form of Ente Nazionale per l'Energia eLettrica, is a multinational producer and marketer of electricity (from renewable energy sources) and natural gas. Although it is also active in the North American and Latin markets most of its business comes from Italy and Spain where it is or controls the country's largest energy company. Internationally a lot of its influence comes from controlling or minor stakes in leading regional companies (66% of Slovenske elektarne in Slovakia (which has an 81% market share of electricity production in that country), 5% of France's Powernext, 10% market share in Romania, one of the leading foreign operators in Russia).^[1] Currently 30-35% of Enel is owned by people or comapanies directly related to the Italian government. Because of anti monopoly and free market related policies introduced in the 1990's the company has less control than it used to have over Italy's energy market (was forced to relinquish control of distribution networks, power plants and a power grid). It has operations in 17 countries (all of North America, parts of Eastern and Western Europe (all major countries except Germany and the UK), and parts of South & Latin America (the Endesa acquisition deepened its market access there) as well as Morocco) and market exposure in another 44. It serves over 60 million people. In Italy the Sales division has a 28% market share making it the electricity sales leader and 11% of natural gas sales (2nd).

Formerly one of its largest European competitors Endesa (10 million customers in Spain and another 10 million abroad) renewable and fossil fuel electricity producer, was taken over (92%) in early 2009 immediately increasing its business in Spain by 25-30 percent. The acquisition also further diversified its market share globally as Endesa also operates outside of Europe in places like Argentina, Peru and Chile.

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