Four decades after the Chernobyl disaster spread radioactive fallout across Europe and prompted Italy to abandon nuclear power, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government is laying the groundwork for its return as the country seeks to strengthen its energy security.
The government is banking on a new generation of Italians who view nuclear energy as a source of low-carbon electricity, a tool to tackle climate change and a means of ensuring more stable energy supplies amid geopolitical shocks caused by the wars in Ukraine and Iran.
Officials hope this growing support will outweigh the concerns of Italians who lived through the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, continue to associate nuclear power with risk and catastrophe, and twice rejected it in national referendums.
Parliament is expected to approve government-backed legislation next week establishing a legal framework for next-generation nuclear technologies. The government would then have 12 months to draft implementing regulations covering reactor licensing, safety standards, waste management and site selection.
"The duty of the government at this moment is to create the conditions so that those who will eventually decide on installations will be able to do so," Environment and Energy Security Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin told The Associated Press ahead of the vote.
Italy's debate comes as several European countries, including France and Poland, expand or pursue nuclear power to improve energy security and meet climate targets. Unlike those countries, however, Italy is attempting to rebuild an industry that voters dismantled decades ago.
Italy was once among Europe's nuclear pioneers, operating four reactors until a 1987 referendum effectively ended the country's nuclear programme in the aftermath of Chernobyl. A second attempt to revive nuclear power collapsed following Japan's Fukushima disaster in 2011, when about 94% of voters opposed plans for new reactors.
If successful, Italy's shift would mark one of Europe's most significant reversals in energy policy.
Meloni's government argues that rising electricity demand, climate targets and energy security concerns following Russia's invasion of Ukraine justify bringing nuclear power back into the country's energy mix.
Pichetto Fratin said electricity demand could rise by at least 30% over the next decade, requiring a broader mix of energy sources than renewables alone.
Rather than reviving the large reactors of the past, the government is focusing on small modular reactors (SMRs) and other advanced technologies, which supporters say are safer, more flexible and quicker to build.
"We are talking about the third advanced generation (of nuclear power), much more workable compared to current needs, much safer because it is small in size with very short construction times," Pichetto Fratin said.
"When people ask me for a timeline, I say 2033, 2034, 2035," he added, referring to when the first next-generation reactors could realistically begin operating.
Nuclear power currently generates about 10% of the world's electricity, accounting for roughly a quarter of global low-carbon electricity production. Italy's planned return to nuclear energy reflects a broader global trend, supported by advances in reactor technology, improved safety features and efforts to reduce construction and operating costs.
At the Latina nuclear power plant south of Rome, workers wearing protective suits continue dismantling the remnants of Italy's first nuclear era even as politicians debate building a second.
Viviana Cruciani, who oversees decommissioning at the state-owned company Sogin, said attitudes towards nuclear power differ sharply across generations.
"There is a generation that came right after Chernobyl that still sees nuclear energy only through the accident at Chernobyl," she said.
"But there is another, much younger generation that is enthusiastic about nuclear power and even regrets that the country has not yet made progress towards bringing back this technology."
A June 2026 survey by research firm Only Numbers found that about 55% of Italians support next-generation nuclear plants.
Michele Governatori, a senior energy adviser at climate and energy think tank ECCO, said support is strongest among younger Italians.
"There is greater openness, especially among younger generations," he said, noting that many associate nuclear power with technological progress rather than the accidents that shaped earlier public opinion.
Cruciani said younger Italians tend to view nuclear energy through the lens of future energy demand and climate goals rather than memories of Cold War-era disasters.
"I think nuclear power can help the environment too. It's more sustainable," said Cristian Giannetti, a 20-year-old tourist from Forte dei Marmi.
Asked about the possibility of another Chernobyl-type disaster, he said technological advances had greatly reduced the risks.
"With the expertise we have and all the resources available today, I think the probability is really minimal."
Others back nuclear power for practical reasons.
"We have an energy problem, so it's very important that nuclear power gets the green light in Italy too," said Paola Giovannini Pasti, president of Confagricoltura Donna, the women's branch of Italy's main agricultural association.
Not everyone is convinced.
"If we use nuclear as a backup, the average energy costs become devastating. So unfortunately it's not a good complement to renewables and it's not cheap," Governatori said.
Pichetto Fratin acknowledged that nuclear power would not provide an immediate solution to high electricity prices.
"Nuclear power does not lower consumers' bills today," he said. "The nuclear power of tomorrow can help reduce them."
Industry estimates suggest a single 300-megawatt SMR could cost between €3 billion and €6 billion, excluding infrastructure and grid upgrades. The government hopes much of the investment will come from private capital.
Governatori argued that cost remains the weakest aspect of the government's proposal.
"Nuclear power being built in Europe today has exorbitant costs," he said. "On the one hand, costs are extremely high, and on the other, private investors are running away."
He also questioned whether SMRs would significantly improve the economics, noting that the technology has yet to be proven commercially on a large scale.
Even so, some critics support creating a regulatory framework that would allow future projects to be assessed on their merits.
The biggest political challenge is likely to be finding sites for reactors and nuclear waste storage.
Italy still lacks a national repository for its existing nuclear waste, much of which remains stored at temporary facilities across the country. Any proposal for new reactors or permanent waste storage is expected to face strong local opposition.
Even if Parliament approves the legislation, environmental groups and left-wing parties could seek a new referendum once specific reactor sites and waste storage plans are announced.
Surveys indicate that support for nuclear power falls sharply when people are asked whether they would accept a reactor near where they live. Polls cited by experts suggest that around six in 10 Italians oppose having a reactor in their own province.
"When you have to seriously ask where a plant will be built and how much it will cost, it is likely that public opinion could become negative again," Governatori said.