Italy moves to rebuild nuclear power within fifteen years
Italy's government has committed to bringing nuclear energy back into the national power mix, with the first plants expected to come online between 2033 and 2035. Environment and Energy Security Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin confirmed that implementing decrees will arrive by the end of 2026, fulfilling a pledge from the Prime Minister to complete the legal framework for the sector.
The minister addressed a conference in Saint-Vincent, acknowledging critics who say nuclear power is too distant to matter. If Italy does not begin now, he argued, the option will never materialise. The government passed a framework law in September 2026, giving itself twelve months to issue the detailed regulations that will govern plant construction, safety and waste management.
The numbers behind the choice
Italy currently generates about 40% of its electricity from gas and another 40% from renewables, according to Minister Pichetto. The remainder is imported from France and Slovenia — and that imported power is nuclear-generated. The government's strategic aim is to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.
Giuseppe Moles, chief executive of Acquirente Unico — the state body responsible for purchasing electricity for the regulated market — framed the issue in terms of national security. He told an energy conference in Trevi that a country without energy independence cannot be considered secure. His concern is straightforward: businesses risk closure when prices spike or supply falters, and every closure carries a human cost.
Moles noted that buying long-term power contracts today would be damaging because of high prices. The state must wait for better economic conditions before acting, he said, to protect consumers.
What happens next for residents
The immediate change is regulatory, not physical. The framework law does not designate specific sites or authorise construction. That will come through the implementing decrees due within a year. Once those decrees are in force, the government will have a further 24 months to issue any corrective measures.
The law opens Italy to new nuclear technologies, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs). No specific locations have been chosen. A European research study identified potential areas in the Po Valley between Torino and Venezia, parts of the Umbria-Lazio border, and coastal zones near Napoli, Brindisi, Catanzaro and Catania. Siting will require technical and environmental assessments as well as local consent, a process that has historically provoked opposition.
Public opinion appears to be shifting. A poll from June 2026 found that about 55% of Italians support new-generation nuclear plants, with stronger backing among younger respondents. The memory of referendums that ended Italy's nuclear programme in 1987 and 2011 still shapes debate, but attitudes have evolved.
The expert split
Scientific bodies offer competing views on whether nuclear can deliver within the proposed timeframe.
The ENEA agency — Italy's national authority for new energy technologies — positions itself as a key technical advisor for the future nuclear regulator. Its nuclear department works on fourth-generation reactors, particularly lead-cooled models. ENEA argues that Italy holds a competitive advantage in advanced reactor technology after two decades of research. A joint study with Confindustria from July 2025 mapped conditions for a return to nuclear power, focusing on SMRs for industrial use.
The National Research Council (CNR) takes a more sceptical stance. In a February 2025 parliamentary hearing, CNR research director Nicola Armaroli questioned whether nuclear can address Italy's current energy problems, citing high costs, long lead times and the global decline in nuclear's share of electricity generation. He argued for accelerating renewable development instead.
University engineers are preparing the workforce. The CIRTEN inter-university consortium for nuclear technology research coordinates training at institutions including the Politecnico di Milano, Politecnico di Torino and La Sapienza in Rome. Professor Marco Ricotti of the Politecnico di Milano has suggested that covering at least 10% of electricity demand with nuclear by 2050 would be a reasonable goal.
A European shift
Italy's reversal mirrors a wider trend. Sweden abandoned its nuclear phase-out policy and now aims for two large reactors by 2035. Finland has proposed a new nuclear law to streamline SMR permits, with public support at a record high. France — from which Italy imports significant power — plans six new reactors and extends the life of its existing fleet.
For Italian households and businesses, the practical impact remains years away. What changes now is the direction of energy policy: a commitment to a dispatchable, low-carbon source that can operate when the sun does not shine or the wind does not blow. Whether that commitment translates into operating plants by the mid-2030s will depend on how quickly regulators write the rules, engineers design the systems, and communities accept the sites.
The timeline is tight. Industry players such as Edison, working with France's EDF and Nuward, aim for an SMR in operation by 2035. Some analysts estimate around 15 years to build a modern reactor from decision to completion. If the schedule holds, Italians could see the first electrons flow into the grid before the next decade ends.
