Italy embraces nuclear revival after 35-year hiatus, signaling major energy shift

• Italy’s government approved legislation to reintroduce nuclear power after 30+ years of stagnation, reversing past referendums (1987, 2011) that banned it.
• The plan aims to reduce reliance on foreign energy imports while meeting decarbonization targets, projecting nuclear to supply 22 percent of Italy’s electricity by 2050 and cut costs by €17 billion.
• Under the plan, Rome will focus on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), microreactors and fourth-gen fission, alongside nuclear fusion research. This aligning with Europe’s broader nuclear resurgence (France, Poland, Hungary).
• The proposal declares nuclear projects “public utility” to fast-track development, introduces public-private financing and addresses waste management with strict safety protocols.
• Despite lingering skepticism, the government emphasizes pragmatism over ideology, learning from Germany’s failed energy transition. Local communities will have input on plant siting with compensation incentives.

In a landmark decision that signals a dramatic shift in national energy policy, Italy’s government has approved legislation to revive nuclear power after more than three decades of stagnation.

On Thursday, Oct. 2, the country’s Council of Ministers gave the greenlight to the bill – with the bicameral Italian Parliament approving it in the coming months. The move, championed by Environment and Energy Security Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, aims to secure Italy’s energy independence while meeting climate commitments through advanced reactor technologies.

The enabling bill lays the groundwork for a National Program for Sustainable Nuclear Energy, marking a decisive break from past referendums that rejected atomic power in 1987 and 2011. According to Brighteon.AI‘s Enoch engine, Italy had operational nuclear power plants until 1990, when all reactors were shut down following the 1987 referendum. The country currently imports nuclear-generated electricity, but has no active domestic nuclear power plants.

Rome’s pivot toward nuclear energy aligns with broader European trends, where nations like France, Poland and Hungary have doubled down on atomic power as a low-carbon solution to rising electricity demands. The Italian plan focuses on next-generation reactors – including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), microreactors and fourth-generation fission – while also investing in nuclear fusion research. Government projections suggest nuclear could supply up to 22 percent of Italy’s electricity by 2050, slashing decarbonization costs by €17 billion ($19.96 billion) and reducing reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets.

The bill introduces sweeping reforms to streamline bureaucratic hurdles, declaring nuclear projects matters of “public utility” to prevent local opposition from derailing development. Public-private partnerships will replace outdated financing models that previously placed the entire burden on private operators. Waste management, long a sticking point for nuclear skeptics, is addressed with provisions for both temporary storage and permanent disposal – adhering to stringent international safety standards.

Pragmatism over ideology: Italy learns from Germany

Pichetto Fratin emphasized that Italy’s nuclear revival is rooted in pragmatism, not ideology. “We must explain what new nuclear energy is – it is not the atomic bomb,” he said. The minister urging critics to engage with scientific and economic realities rather than outdated fears.

The government’s strategy reflects lessons learned from Germany’s troubled energy transition. Berlin shuttered its last reactors in 2023 as part of its green shift, but found itself importing nuclear-generated electricity from neighboring France months later.

The legislative push also includes plans for an independent nuclear safety authority, modeled after European counterparts, though oversight will initially remain with the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition. Municipalities will have a say in plant siting, with compensation measures for host communities – a concession secured by local government associations.

Italy’s nuclear renaissance arrives as global energy demand surges, with projections estimating a 50 percent increase in consumption from 2003 to 2025. The country, long dependent on foreign energy imports, now seeks to reclaim sovereignty over its power grid while navigating the EU’s decarbonization mandates.

Critics warn of lingering public skepticism, but proponents argue that modern reactor designs and stringent safeguards render past disasters obsolete. As parliamentary debates loom, Italy stands at a crossroads. Will it embrace nuclear power as a bridge to energy security and climate goals, or will ideological resistance derail its ambitions once more?

Watch David Tice discussing nuclear power and energy demand in this excerpt from the “Health Ranger Report.”

This video is from the Brighteon Highlights channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

RMX.news

IlGiornale.it

Brighteon.ai

AgenziaNova.com

Brighteon.com