Italy eyes nuclear energy return after 40-year ban, driven by security and cost concerns

Italy is preparing to reopen the door to nuclear energy after a 40-year hiatus that followed a 1987 referendum held in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster, with the government drafting a roadmap to revive the sector. The shift comes amid an energy crisis and changing geopolitical conditions, according to the report. Experts cited in the report say the change in public attitudes is less about erasing the collective fear triggered by Chernobyl and more about younger generations facing a different set of crises. Concerns over energy supply security, high electricity bills and the need to reduce carbon emissions have reshaped how nuclear power is perceived, turning it for many young Italians into a symbol of stability rather than risk. The government has framed its efforts as a practical response to rising costs and supply vulnerabilities rather than a symbolic reversal of the post-Chernobyl vote. Officials say the planned roadmap will outline steps for re-entering nuclear power, though no detailed timeline or technology choices have been confirmed. The report notes that Italy has not yet specified whether it will pursue large-scale reactors or smaller advanced designs. Analysts quoted in the report caution that the final outcome will depend less on technology than on the ethical and political choices societies make alongside scientific advances. No further details on the roadmap or its implementation were immediately available.