Italy prepares to return to nuclear power. Meloni promises new nuclear law this summer

The Italian government is continuing preparations for a possible return of nuclear power to the national energy mix. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in the Senate that the enabling law is expected to be approved during the summer. Legislative decrees will then be adopted to create the legal framework needed to resume the use of nuclear energy in Italy.

Meloni put her remarks in the context of a broader debate about the country’s strategic priorities. She said that current geopolitical tensions and a complex international economic situation are affecting economic growth, energy prices, business competitiveness and household purchasing power. She therefore described energy as one of the main strategic issues that should, in her view, be the subject of fewer disputes and more substantive debate.

Law is intended to pave the way for a new nuclear program

Italy’s Council of Ministers last October approved a bill for final consideration, granting the government the authority to prepare rules for a return to nuclear power. The bill is intended to enable comprehensive regulation of nuclear power in line with Europe’s 2050 decarbonization goals and energy security requirements.

The mandate is expected to include, among other things, the preparation of a National Program for Sustainable Nuclear Energy, the establishment of an independent nuclear safety authority, the strengthening of scientific and industrial research, the development of new professional skills, and public information and awareness campaigns.

Under the bill, implementing legislative decrees are to be adopted within 12 months of the law’s entry into force. According to a document from the Chamber of Deputies, the delegation is intended to allow the government to revise the entire framework for nuclear power generation, including its links to European and international commitments, decarbonization goals, energy security and limiting costs for end consumers.

Italy ended nuclear power plant operations in 1990

Italy previously operated a total of four nuclear power plants, the first of which began operating in the early 1960s. After the Chernobyl nuclear accident, however, the country voted in a referendum to move away from nuclear power. The last two operating units, Caorso and Trino Vercellese, were permanently shut down in 1990.

Italy had already tried to revive its nuclear program, but the process was halted by the accident at Japan’s Fukushima plant in 2011. The Italian government then approved a moratorium of at least one year on the construction of new nuclear power plants. In a referendum held in June that year, more than 94% of voters opposed plans to resume the construction of new nuclear facilities.

Gradual shift in public opinion

According to a survey conducted in June 2021, about a third of Italians favored reconsidering the use of nuclear power. More than half of respondents also said they would not rule out the use of new advanced nuclear technologies in the future.

In May 2023, Italy’s Chamber of Deputies approved a motion urging the government to consider including nuclear power in the country’s energy mix. The first meeting of the National Platform for Sustainable Nuclear Energy was subsequently held in September that year. Its task is to define a timeline for a possible return to nuclear power in Italy and identify opportunities for the domestic supply chain, which is already active in the nuclear sector.