Italy is seeking to return to nuclear power in a bid to bolster its energy security, cut carbon emissions and reduce electricity prices, but the eventual revival of a nuclear program will take years to materialize and likely face potential public opposition and technical constraints. On Feb. 28, the Italian government approved a draft law that, if passed by parliament, would give it a mandate to adopt detailed legislation for the reintroduction of nuclear power, including for the establishment of a national nuclear program, the commissioning of scientific research, the training of a specialized workforce, and the creation of independent safety authority to regulate and supervise nuclear infrastructure. Rather than returning to past large-scale reactors, the draft calls for a focus on fusion and next-generation fission technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs) and fourth-generation reactors. Environment and Energy Security Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said he expects the law to be approved by autumn or year-end, after which the government would have 12 months to draft comprehensive regulations covering the entire nuclear energy cycle — from research and plant construction to fuel recycling and waste management. The full framework is thus expected to be finalized by the end of 2027, with Pichetto Fratin emphasizing the government's goal for the reintroduction of nuclear energy by 2030.

• Italy shut down the last of its active nuclear power plants in 1990 after an overwhelming majority of Italians (nearly 72%) voted in favor of phasing out nuclear power in a 1987 referendum following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine the previous year. In 2008, the Italian government tried to launch a new nuclear energy program, but voters again rejected the plan in another referendum held in 2011 following the Fukushima accident in Japan. 
• According to Italy's National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan published in July 2024, which outlines the country's planned measures to achieve its national climate targets by 2030 in line with the objectives set by the European Union, nuclear energy is set to play a key role in the country's long-term energy strategy. According to the plan, up to 8 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity could be installed by 2050 — covering about 11% of Italy's electricity demand, which could rise to 22% with the deployment of advanced technologies like SMRs and Generation IV models.
• In 2024, Pichetto Fratin announced that Italy was in talks with several companies, including U.S.-based Westinghouse and France's EDF, as potential partners in a state-backed venture to build advanced nuclear reactors in the country.

Italy's government sees nuclear power as key to reducing reliance on imported energy amid rising electricity demand, growing global instability and volatility in international energy markets. Since coming to power in October 2022, Italy's right-wing ruling coalition has revived the nuclear energy debate in the country, capitalizing on a growing consensus — both in Italy and across Europe — on the need to reduce fossil fuel consumption in response to the energy crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Proponents of nuclear energy argue it provides a stable supply of low-carbon electricity that, unlike coal or natural gas plants, does not depend on a continuous fuel supply. Unlike intermittent sources such as wind and solar, nuclear reactors can also operate continuously, delivering reliable baseload power that helps keep the electricity grid balanced. According to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government, these features make nuclear energy especially attractive as Europe's electricity demand is expected to rise sharply in the coming years, driven by ambitious electrification goals in the transportation and heating sectors. Moreover, new-generation nuclear reactors are considered significantly safer than earlier designs like the Gen II reactors used at Fukushima and Chernobyl, with SMRs showing even more promise given they are designed to minimize safety risks and eliminate the possibility of a meltdown — effectively removing the main public concerns that contributed to the phase-out of nuclear energy in countries like Italy and Germany. 

• Italy's renewed interest in nuclear energy reflects a broader European trend. Countries including France, Poland, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom are planning to expand or launch nuclear energy programs as part of their broader strategies for decarbonization and energy independence. In 2023, 15 EU countries also launched a “Nuclear Alliance” under France's leadership to push for increased support from the European Union for nuclear energy; Italy has so far joined these discussions as an observer. 
• Germany, which shut down its last nuclear plant in April 2023, is unlikely to revive traditional nuclear energy soon, despite the pro-nuclear stance of incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. This is due to continued opposition from the CDU's potential coalition partner, the center-left Social Democratic Party, as well as regulatory and technical barriers. Instead, Germany, like Italy, will probably explore potential investment in next-generation technologies such as SMRs and nuclear fusion.

Reintroducing nuclear power could enhance Italy's energy security, industrial competitiveness and economic growth, but major political and technical hurdles — along with uncertain timelines and unproven technologies — make a full-scale nuclear comeback unlikely in the next decade. While Italy would still need to import more uranium to fuel nuclear plants, reintroducing nuclear energy could help the country strengthen its energy security by reducing dependence on imported electricity and natural gas, which makes Italy vulnerable to price shocks and geopolitical tensions. Reviving nuclear power would also stabilize long-term energy prices in Italy (which are currently among the highest in the European Union), thereby improving its industrial competitiveness. The reinvigoration of the nuclear industry, a historically important sector in the country, could also stimulate job creation and growth, including in the short to medium term through plant construction and associated supply chains. Still, a nuclear revival faces major challenges that will make the government's already ambitious timeline difficult to achieve. While many Italians may have warmed up to the idea in light of record-high electricity prices in recent years, the two previous referendums on the issue demonstrate the public's deep-rooted distrust of nuclear energy. While Italy does not legally need a referendum to reintroduce nuclear power, it is unlikely to try to do so without one due to the issue's political sensitivity, and the outcome of such a vote is far from certain. Key practical hurdles also include identifying suitable locations for new plants and long-term storage solutions for radioactive waste — both of which are complicated by widespread local opposition in Italy to large-scale infrastructure projects, let alone those involving nuclear energy amid longstanding safety concerns. Meanwhile, though Italy has preserved a degree of technical expertise in the sector, it lacks both a workforce with direct experience in nuclear operations and a regulatory framework conducive to rapid project approvals (though government plans would partly address this). These gaps raise the likelihood of delays and cost overruns, meaning a full nuclear comeback would probably take more than a decade to materialize. Finally, the advanced technologies Italy is betting on are not yet commercially available, and it remains uncertain whether they will scale up in time to become cost-effective and play a meaningful role in the transition away from fossil fuels within the next 10-15 years, while the commercial viability of nuclear fusion remains speculative and likely very distant.

• Between the 1950s and 1980s, Italy was a major player in nuclear energy, developing a strong program that included collaborations on advanced technologies and operating several plants safely and without major incidents. Although Italy later decommissioned its nuclear fission plants, it has remained a leader in nuclear research, particularly in fusion technology. Italian institutions and companies continue to play a key role in international collaborative efforts, including the ITER project and the EUROfusion Programme, while state-controlled energy companies like Enel and Eni have also retained significant expertise and participation in nuclear projects abroad. 
• A January 2024 study by Ernst & Young estimates a nuclear revival by the end of the decade (as currently planned by the Italian government) could boost Italy's economy by about 45 billion euros ($49 billion) and create over 500,000 jobs by 2050, including 52,000 short-term jobs linked to construction and related infrastructure.
• Critics of nuclear energy highlight several drawbacks compared to renewables. High construction costs, decades-long timelines and expensive decommissioning processes are seen as diverting resources from faster, more cost-effective alternatives like solar, wind, energy storage and smart grids. Opponents also argue nuclear plants are not designed to ramp power output up or down quickly, making them poorly suited to complement intermittent renewables and question whether future electricity systems will even require constant baseload power, suggesting that flexible, decentralized renewable systems better align with Italy's decarbonization goals. 
• A survey conducted in April 2024 by an Italian research firm found that 51% of voters would support the reintroduction of nuclear energy if a referendum were held on the issue, with support strongest among younger respondents, reflecting a broader shift in perceptions of nuclear power as a low-carbon solution within the energy transition. Over 70% of participants viewed modern reactors as safe and sustainable. However, 74% to 77% said they felt inadequately informed about nuclear technologies and associated risks, underscoring the early and still-evolving nature of the public debate in Italy.
• Italy's pro-nuclear camp includes not only right-wing parties within Meloni's ruling coalition but also centrist opposition groups, such as Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva and Carlo Calenda's Azione. Collectively, parties that support some form of a nuclear energy comeback hold a significant parliamentary majority, with over 60% of lawmakers in both chambers of Italy's legislature aligned with pro-nuclear coalitions.