Italy’s Council of Ministers, led by President Giorgia Meloni, has given approval for final consideration of a bill that gives the government the power to bring nuclear energy back to the country.
The bill lays out a clear framework for how ‘sustainable’ nuclear power would be introduced, in line with Europe’s decarbonisation goals for 2050 and Italy’s energy security needs. It tasks the government with setting up a National Programme for Sustainable Nuclear Power, establishing an independent Nuclear Safety Authority, boosting scientific and industrial research, developing new technical skills, and running campaigns to inform and raise awareness among the public. Legislative decrees required to enforce the law are expected to be issued within 12 months of its enactment.
In a statement, the Council of Ministers highlighted the bill’s ambition: “The bill aims to comprehensively address the production of energy from sustainable nuclear and fusion sources, incorporating it into the Italian energy mix to achieve energy independence and decarbonisation goals. The measure transcends previous nuclear experiences and focuses on the use of the best available technologies, including modular and advanced ones. The bill takes into account the opinion expressed by the Joint Conference.”
Italy’s nuclear history dates back to the early 1960s with four operational plants. Following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, a referendum led the country to phase out nuclear power, closing its last plants at Caorso and Trino Vercellese in 1990. After the Fukushima Daiichi accident in 2011, Italy imposed a one-year pause on building new nuclear plants, and public opposition stayed strong. But attitudes have started to change, with one-third of Italians favouring the use of nuclear energy in the country.
In May 2023, Parliament passed a motion asking the government to look at adding nuclear power to the country’s energy mix. That September, the National Platform for Sustainable Nuclear Power held its first meeting to outline a possible roadmap and explore opportunities for Italy’s industrial sector.
Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto welcomed the draft law, emphasizing its forward-looking approach: “With this measure, Italy equips itself with a fundamental tool to look to the future with realism and ambition. We want to be leaders in new technologies, from SMR and AMR to fusion, within the framework of technological neutrality and the European energy transition. Sustainable nuclear power is a choice based on innovation, safety, and responsibility toward citizens, businesses, and the environment.”