Giorgia Meloni has long advocated nuclear energy as a way out of Italy’s weakened economy. Now, his government is working out how to practically resurrect a technology banned in the country.
Nearly 40 years after Italy closed its last nuclear reactor — and 15 years after a failed attempt to reverse that decision — the prime minister’s team is consulting experts and holding discussions on how to resume atomic energy production, according to people familiar with the planning.
Italian officials traveled to Canada to evaluate technology projects and spoke with French officials about its nuclear industry, said these people, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The government also discussed options internally with South Korea and the United States, they added.
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For Meloni, the campaign is central to his promise to help companies pressured by Italy’s high energy costs, which are among the highest in Europe. She argues that nuclear power can be part of the long-term solution, tying some of her political capital to the success of that plan.
Italy should restart its nuclear power program “as quickly as possible”, Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said on Tuesday, stressing that the plants needed to be safe and “economically convenient”.
Meloni government officials know that the task will not be simple. Convincing a country that voted twice, overwhelmingly, to veto nuclear power will require political skill and timing, some of the people said. The proximity of a general election makes the process even more complicated.
Nuclear projects can also turn into cost pits, years late — just look at France or the United Kingdom. Even if everything goes according to plan, Italian nuclear energy could start operating just when the market is migrating to greener alternatives with fewer safety risks.
Meloni’s office did not comment.
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Italy relies heavily on imported natural gas, making it more exposed than many European countries to international price volatility.
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This is what happened in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine and gas prices soared, restricting Italian economic growth that was already fragile. Since then, the country has been trying to diversify its energy sources.
The ongoing conflict in Iran, which has reduced oil and gas deliveries and raised energy prices, has created even more urgency, the people said.
Italy has already taken some initial steps to reintroduce nuclear energy.
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Last year, the Italian cabinet approved a new legal framework to bring back atomic energy, setting the stage for the country to produce a national strategic plan by 2027. The move marked the first concrete step toward reversing the 1987 nuclear ban, which was nearly reversed in 2011 before the Fukushima nuclear disaster halted the process.
Italian companies in the energy sector also created a nuclear research and development company, Nuclitalia, to assess whether atomic energy would be economically viable in the country. Enel SpA owns 51% of the company, Ansaldo Energia SpA owns 39% and defense company Leonardo SpA has a 10% stake.
At the same time, authorities are analyzing what nuclear technology they could import. The interest involves both large plants and so-called small modular reactors, a new technology that, in theory, can be built more quickly and cheaply. Advocates say these mini-reactors could help replace fossil fuels and power energy-intensive artificial intelligence and data centers.
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Some reckon France’s nuclear offerings could integrate well with Italian companies already active in the sector, the people said. The American Westinghouse is another option, especially if Italy wants to strengthen relations with President Donald Trump.
There is also South Korea’s Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, which is already working on building new reactors in the Czech Republic, and Canada, where Italian authorities are focusing their attention on small modular reactors.
The movement accompanies the broader review of nuclear policy in the European Union. Other countries, such as Poland, are also seeking to create a new nuclear industry, and the EU has been easing restrictions on financing the sector, offering millions to support private investment.
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Still, cost remains an issue. Nuclear projects take years and require investments worth billions. There is also the issue of waste, which remains toxic for centuries.
Italian authorities are also concerned about local resistance. So far, the government has mostly considered areas that have hosted nuclear reactors in the past, the people said. Furthermore, any location would have to be geologically stable — not simple in a narrow, earthquake-prone country.
This hesitancy could also hamper the advancement of small modular reactors, one of the people said. The technology faces the same local political disputes and bureaucratic requirements as larger plants, but would only produce about a third of the energy.
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