Italy's Senate Approves Nuclear Framework, Reviving Atomic Energy Debate

Italy's Senate gave final approval on Wednesday to legislation that establishes a legal framework for a return to nuclear power, nearly four decades after the country turned its back on atomic energy in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster.

The measure passed the upper house by 81 votes to 51, with seven abstentions, after earlier clearing the Chamber of Deputies. It authorises the government to draft implementing decrees over the next 12 months covering reactor licensing, safety standards, waste management and criteria for future sites.

The vote sets Italy on a path toward reintroducing nuclear power, a technology voters have rejected twice in national referendums — first after Chernobyl in 1986 and again following Japan's Fukushima accident in 2011. The legislation does not approve the construction of any reactors; it creates the regulatory foundation needed before future projects can be proposed, assessed and approved.

Premier Giorgia Meloni's government argues that rising electricity demand, climate targets and energy security concerns exposed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine justify bringing nuclear back into the power mix. Rather than reviving the large reactors of the past, the focus is on small modular reactors, or SMRs, and other advanced technologies that supporters say could be safer, more flexible and quicker to build.

Italy was once among Europe's nuclear pioneers, operating four reactors before a 1987 referendum effectively ended the programme. Since then it has relied heavily on imported energy and become one of Europe's largest consumers of electricity generated by nuclear plants in neighbouring countries.

The government expects electricity demand to rise substantially as homes, businesses and transport become increasingly electrified and as data centres and other energy-intensive technologies expand. The move comes amid a broader European debate over nuclear power's role in cutting carbon emissions and reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, with countries including France and Poland investing in new projects or planning major expansions.

Public attitudes appear to have shifted. A June 2026 survey by research firm Only Numbers found that about 55% of Italians support next-generation nuclear plants, with backing strongest among younger generations who have no direct memory of Chernobyl.

Significant obstacles remain. Italy still lacks a permanent national repository for radioactive waste from its previous nuclear programme, with waste stored at temporary facilities around the country. Future reactor projects and waste storage sites are also expected to face opposition from local communities.

Energy analysts have questioned the economics of nuclear power, pointing to high construction costs and the lack of commercially proven SMR projects operating at scale in Europe. Industry estimates place the cost of a single 300-megawatt SMR at between 3 billion and 6 billion euros ($3.5 billion and $7 billion), excluding additional infrastructure and grid expenses.

Michele Governatori, a senior energy adviser at climate and energy think tank ECCO, welcomed the creation of a regulatory framework but said it would likely expose limited private-sector appetite for new nuclear projects.

"Having a regulatory framework in place is positive, but it will also make clear the limited interest of private investors in technologies that are either not competitive today or not yet ready, such as SMRs," he said.

Governatori added that Italy should focus on measures already available to cut energy costs and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, including electrification, energy efficiency, renewable energy, storage capacity and power-grid upgrades.

Environmental groups and opposition parties have already signalled resistance to the government's plans and could challenge future projects once specific reactor and waste-storage sites are proposed.