意大利梅洛尼政府正推动核电回归，计划建立下一代核技术的法律框架，预计国会将在近期批准相关立法[1]。政府已确立了雄心勃勃的时间表，目标在2033-2035年启动首批新型反应堆运营[1]。作为应对能源转型的举措，这一政策的出台正值意大利电力需求预计在约十年内增加至少30%之际[1]。
政府的核电复兴计划反映出意大利社会对核能认知的深刻分裂。2026年6月的调查表明，约55%的意大利人支持下一代核电厂作为低碳电力和气候工具[1]。然而，这种支持在实际选址上遭遇阻力——约六成意大利人反对在自己所在省份建造反应堆[1]。政府希望充分利用年轻一代对核电的支持，以克服经历过1986年切尔诺贝利事故的一代人的持续反对[1]。
在监管框架方面，政府将有12个月时间制定相关实施令[1]。建设成本预计不菲，单个300兆瓦小型模块反应堆的估计费用为30-60亿欧元，不含基础设施和电网费用[1]。此外，意大利目前仍缺乏用于处理现有核废料的国家储存库，这成为推进核电政策的潜在障碍[1]。
Italy's government is moving to revive nuclear energy as a low-carbon electricity source, seeking to capitalize on generational differences in attitudes toward atomic power four decades after the Chernobyl disaster. The Meloni administration is establishing a legal framework for next-generation nuclear technology, with parliament expected to approve the legislation in the coming week [1]. The government will have twelve months to issue implementing decrees once the framework is adopted [1].
The timeline for deployment reflects Italy's growing energy needs, with electricity demand projected to increase by at least 30 percent over approximately the next decade [1]. The government aims to bring the first new reactors online between 2033 and 2035 [1]. Each individual small modular reactor with a capacity of 300 megawatts is estimated to cost between 3 and 6 billion euros, excluding infrastructure and grid connection expenses [1].
Support for the policy hinges on a stark divide between generations. According to a June 2026 survey, approximately 55 percent of Italians backed next-generation nuclear plants [1], with younger citizens proving more receptive to the technology as a climate solution. However, this national support does not translate uniformly to local acceptance—roughly 60 percent of Italians opposed constructing reactors in their own provinces [1]. A significant obstacle remains: Italy currently lacks a national storage facility for existing nuclear waste [1].