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Italy Senate Approves Nuclear Restart in 81-51 Vote

By Drooid · Sep 24, 2026, 10:49 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Italy's Senate approved a law to reopen nuclear power generation, passing 81-to-51 with seven abstentions.
The Senate vote gives the government 12 months to issue safety, licensing, waste and construction decrees.
Italy will prioritize small modular reactors and target nuclear’s share rising from 11% to 22%.
The government estimates the shift could cut decarbonisation costs by €17 billion by 2050.

History

Historical Context

In 1987, Italy held a nationwide nuclear referendum that led to the abandonment of its three operating reactors. The referendum, overseen by the Ministry of Industry and the European Commission, recorded a 94% “no” vote among 30 million participants. Today, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition, backed by Enel, the Italian government, and Euratom, seeks to reverse that ban by approving a law to restart nuclear generation. If enacted, the policy could double nuclear’s share to 22% by 2050, cutting decarbonisation costs by €17 billion and reshaping Europe’s energy landscape.

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Story summary

Italy's Senate approved a law to reopen nuclear power generation, passing 81-to-51 with seven abstentions.
The Senate vote gives the government 12 months to issue safety, licensing, waste and construction decrees.
Italy will prioritize small modular reactors and target nuclear’s share rising from 11% to 22%.
The government estimates the shift could cut decarbonisation costs by €17 billion by 2050.

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