Italian Senate Approves Law Enabling Return to Nuclear Power

The Italian Senate approved an enabling law on September 23, 2026, establishing a legal framework for the return of nuclear power. The measure passed 81-51, marking the first such move since Italy abandoned atomic energy following referendums in 1987 and 2011. The legislation focuses on next-generation technologies, specifically small modular reactors (SMRs), and hydrogen production.

Giorgia Meloni and her government framed the decision as a necessary step to reduce reliance on electricity imports from neighboring countries and shield Italy from price volatility caused by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. While the law does not authorize immediate construction, it grants the government 12 months to draft implementing decrees regarding licensing, safety standards, and waste management. The government estimates that nuclear energy could account for 11% to 22% of the energy mix, with the first plants potentially operational by 2033-2034.

Opposition parties, including the Five Star Movement and the Green-Left Alliance, criticized the plan as an economic folly. Critics argued that the technology is not yet commercially viable and that the law serves as a distraction from failed energy policies. Senator Elena Sironi of the Five Star Movement urged that any new plants be located in already developed or degraded industrial areas to avoid consuming additional land.