Meloni’s push to revive nuclear power runs into Italy’s old ghosts

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🗞️ Driving the news: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is pushing to lift Italy’s decades-old ban on nuclear power, proposing a legal framework this summer to pave the way for small modular reactors (SMRs)
• The plan aims to reduce dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets amid soaring energy prices and geopolitical instability

🔭 The context: Italy shut down its reactors after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and again rejected nuclear expansion following Fukushima in 2011
• Past nuclear initiatives have been stalled by public opposition, referendums, political instability, and local permitting hurdles
• Despite rising electricity costs and security concerns, experts warn that operational nuclear power in Italy remains at least a decade away, with public support shallow and easily politicized

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Reintroducing nuclear energy could significantly reduce Italy’s greenhouse gas emissions by replacing fossil-fuel–based electricity generation, aligning with EU climate targets
• Nuclear power provides low-carbon baseload energy, helping stabilize the grid as Italy navigates the transition to clean energy and offsets reliance on imported electricity generated from reactors abroad

⏭️ What’s next: Parliament would need to approve a framework law, followed by implementing decrees within 12 months
• Local opposition, regulatory challenges, and potential referendums could delay projects, while timelines for operational reactors likely extend into the 2030s

💬 One quote: “This bill does not reintroduce nuclear power in Italy. It just sets the rules to reintroduce it,” said Luca Romano, pro-nuclear commentator

📈 One stat: Recent polling shows Italian public support for nuclear energy hovering around 50%, up sharply from prior decades

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