Italy Parliament Votes to Restart Nuclear Energy After 40 Years

Italy's parliament approved the government's plan to return to nuclear energy, a historic reversal of the country's decades-long opposition to atomic power.

Italy's Nuclear History

Italy shut down its last nuclear plants following a referendum in 1987 after Chernobyl. A 2011 referendum also rejected a return. The new plan backed by PM Giorgia Meloni's government envisions small modular reactors (SMRs) with first plants potentially online in the mid-2030s. Supporters argue nuclear is essential for energy security and decarbonization goals.